November Rain
by spacejunkie82
Summary: An AU SG1 goes on a routine mission, but they are not prepared for what they will find. A ghost from the past comes back to haunt them and has a major impact on their life. SJ Completed!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:November Rain (1/8)  
Author:** spacejunkie82  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** An AU SG-1 goes on a routine mission, but they are not prepared for what they will find. A ghost from the past comes back to haunt them and has a major impact on their life  
**Season:** season 4 up to future  
**Spoiler:** Spoilers up to Season 8  
**Pairing:** S/J, Sam/Other, Daniel/Other  
**Type:** Angst, AU, Adventure/ Action, Romance, Drama  
**Warning:** Language; Major Character Death; Mention of Torture  
**Archive:** SJDyes, FF, my sites, Gateworld, Helio

**Author's Note:** This story is not mine. It is the work of several people and it wouldn't be what it is, if it wasn't for each and every one of them. Here's to you, Lori. The monster wouldn't have been created if you hadn't planted the bugger into my brain. We both know that without you, none of this would have been written. I couldn't have done it without your constant support and input. I hope it is as Star Wars-y as you always wanted it to be. Second, I want to thank my fabulous beta reader Kelley2, who had a major influence on the story and never fails to point out weaknesses. Thank you. I really appreciate all your work. Final thank goes to those of you who I forced to test-read this. You know who you are. Thanks guys. You are the best.

Feedback is always welcome. In fact, I live on it. Think Daniel and coffee.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, sadly not. I promise to be good and hand 'em back after I'm done playing with them, even if it'll break my heart. No one ever gave money to me. Title goes to Guns N'Roses. No copyright infringement intended. You guys own everything, I own nothing. Ahh, despite the original characters. They're all mine.

**

Prologue

**

'And it's hard to hold a candle  
In the cold November rain.'

It had been six years. Six years to the day. Still, time didn't help much to make it go away. Time didn't help at all. It had never worked for him. Not after Charlie, not now. Sometimes, he was able to forget, but it worked only so long and, when he came up from this delusion, reality hit him like a truck. Today, things were even worse. Strangely enough, it wasn't because of the past; though this particular event starred in this parody that was called his life, seemed to dominate it sometimes.

Today, it was all about the present. They'd just lost a team member. He'd long ago given up on counting the newbies as they only seemed to last a couple of missions, so why should he bother? Never let yourself get too attached to those under your command or you'd pay the price. He'd had to learn this particular lesson the hard way. Anytime someone got closer to him, he'd lose them, one way or the other. And it was always his fault. It was his gun, his... whatever, it always came down to one thing. Everyone around him got hurt.

So, deliberate loneliness was now his course of action. It would've been better for all of them if he had never returned to duty after Charlie. But he had forgotten one simple rule. Don't let them get close. Better be safe than sorry, right? Daniel had broken his shield on Abydos and, by the time he had met the rest of the team that became SG-1, it had been in pieces. He'd allowed them to get under his skin, all of them, and had forgotten that this was unacceptable.

Hammond had already given him a piece of his mind, telling him that he would no longer bear with Jack's behavior. Apparently, no one wanted to be assigned to SG-1. Not that he really cared, mind you. He could understand them. Really.

Settling on the couch, he tightened the grip on his bottle of scotch, clinging to it for dear life. He didn't even bother to pour the golden liquid in a glass; he simply took a huge sip from the bottle. Maybe, tonight, he could forget. It would only be a couple of hours and, tomorrow, it would hurt so much more but anything was worth those few hours of oblivion. Taking another swig, he hoped that darkness was coming soon. Today it was just too much to bear. Even for Jack O'Neill. Losing a member of his team, whether they'd been friends or not, hit just too close to home. 

**

Chapter 1

**

"Daniel? You can't go. You've been to that mission and this report doesn't make sense without someone who has actually been there. Please."

Those big blue eyes looked at him and he tried very hard to remind himself that it was time to go. If she'd only stopped looking at him like that.

"Sorry. I already have to hurry. We wouldn't want to keep Jack waiting, would we?"

Jack's name wiped his friend's begging expression off her face immediately and she stepped back.

"Oh. Of course not. The Colonel won't be happy if you're late."

With that, he smiled at her one last time and hurried down towards the locker room. He'd just reached the corner when she called after him.

"You'll help me with this when you come back, right?"

"Sure."

He watched her walk back to her lab before he turned around. A look at his watch told him that there was no way he'd make it in time. Jack would probably tear him apart. Or, even more disturbing, he might not bother at all. Gearing up as quickly as he could, Daniel pulled his vest on when he turned the last corner and stepped two minutes late into the embarkation room.

A glare reached him from where SG-1's team leader hovered in front of the open Gate. At least he showed some kind of reaction. That was more than Daniel had anticipated.

"Sorry, Jack. There was an emergency in the lab. Hailey obviously had some problems and she needed some of Sam's old reports..."

A quick hand movement cut Daniel short. Stupid, stupid, he chastised himself. How could he have forgotten the first rule? Never talk about her within Jack's earshot. One would've thought that, by now, Daniel had gotten this rule into his head but, obviously, a PhD. didn't mean he was actually smart.

"Daniel. Teal'c."

Daniel's attention switched back to Jack, who was ready to go through the Gate, and Daniel hurried up the ramp, Teal'c following on his heels. Just seconds after their team leader, they stepped through the event horizon and coldness claimed the team, swallowed by the darkness that tore their bodies into molecules.

When they stumbled through the Gate on the other side, they were greeted by the ever-present trees. Like on most planets, the Stargate was positioned in the center of a clearing. Earth's MALP was sitting on the foot of the Stargate but, apart from that no sign of human life was visible, not that he had expected to find any. Jack didn't know it and would probably kill Daniel, if he ever found out, but Hammond had assigned this planet to them because of, not despite, the obvious lack of natives.

The General was worried. He'd asked Daniel and Teal'c to stay after their last mission debrief, over two weeks ago. They'd lost Captain Smithers on that mission, a promising young woman with a shining career ahead of her. Hammond had told them that he wanted SG-1, or rather, to be more precise, Jack O'Neill, to step down but at the same time had had to acknowledge the fact that nothing would keep Jack from going through the Stargate.

They'd barely had any free time since... _the_ mission, six years ago. New enemies had risen and closed in on them and Jack was driving his team on, as if he was afraid to relax. Daniel guessed that it was easier for Jack this way though it didn't change the fact that his friend hadn't been himself in a long time. Sure, he was still a good soldier, the best they had to offer in face of various threats, which was one of the reasons Hammond was reluctant to give him up, but he was far from his old self. Sometimes, Daniel just wanted to shake Jack and make him see reason. Shout in his face that he was not the only one who had lost her, who had loved her. But, then, they had always had different ways of grieving.

...

_The sun was shining brightly while Daniel felt like sobbing. He was angry at the world, angry at himself, angry at everyone. How dare the sun shine when all he wanted was rain? How come he saw people smiling on the street when everything fell apart around him? Why had he allowed Jack to get him through the Gate first? Something flashed, blinding Daniel and he found it was the golden hinges on the white wood, reflecting the rays of the all-too-shiny-bright sun._

Muffled sobs next to him shook him out of his reverie and he fastened his grip on the woman's shoulder while his other hand gently squeezed the hand of the girl standing in front of him. He watched as they lowered the coffin, unable to cry tears anymore. He felt as if his body had run empty of tears, as if he'd cried all the oceans in the world and there simply wasn't anything left but the endless dry sands of a desert.

Over the hole in the ground that was now occupied by the empty wooden hull, he saw Jacob's broken figure. The buttons and medals on his dress blues sparkled in the sun, bearing an odd resemblance to the hinges on her coffin. The older man had aged visibly in just a couple of days and Daniel's eyes fell to where Jacob was clinging to the folded flag, his knuckles white.

Suddenly Jacob's eyes flashed angry and Daniel felt something move next to him. He'd missed Jack all day and the anger in Jacob's eyes was enough to make Daniel understand why. But, now, Jack was here, standing against the accusations in his dress blues like a rock in the rough sea.

The commission that had been called into life after the accident declared it to be just that. An accident. There was nothing Jack could've done to prevent it. But that didn't mean that Jack actually forgave himself. And, apparently, neither did Jacob. At first, Daniel had felt the same anger at Jack. Then, gradually, he had seen what this did to his friend which helped to make the anger he had felt at her loss dissipate and ratio take over. It had been an accident. Nothing that Jack could have changed and he knew that Jack would have given everything to go back and make it right. But he couldn't. Daniel might have lost one friend, but he still had another that he needed to worry about. Despite everything, that was still what Jack was. His friend. A friend whom Daniel wouldn't, couldn't let down.

When the first shovel of earth fell on the white coffin, Daniel closed his eyes. He knew it wouldn't shut out the sound but he couldn't stand it anymore. Letting out a sigh as the ceremony drew to an end, he squeezed Janet's shoulder and led her and Cassie away from the empty grave. When he turned around at the exit, he saw that most of the mourners had already left. Only Jack and Jacob stood there. Teal'c eyed the pair with just as much suspicion as Daniel but turned slowly when Daniel told him to.

Recalling the deadly glare in Jacob's eyes, Daniel decided to take Teal'c and visit Jack later that day. Preferably after buying some alcohol. God knew they could need it.  
  


...

Jack had changed after that. Whatever Jacob had said to him that day, it must have hit hard, eventually leading to where they were now. By the time they had gotten around to Jack's, he'd already constructed a wall between him and everyone else and never let it down after that.

Although Hammond wasn't convinced that Jack would let his defenses down now, he was still willing to take this last straw that Daniel and Teal'c offered him. They had been able to convince Hammond to give SG-1 some easy missions, just taking a look around on some nice planets with minimum risk. Though all of them knew that they were racing against time, time that Earth might not have, it seemed like the only plausible solution. Probably they would be able to get through to Jack. Make him see reason. Otherwise, Hammond was considering relieving him of command, a step that all of them knew would be militarily unthinkable if the emotional circumstances were any different.

Oblivious to all these things, Jack quickly checked the perimeter before he walked off into the dark wood, followed by his teammates. The thick canopy hardly allowed any light to break through its branches and they had to watch their step. Daniel had hoped that this planet would, at least, force some sort of reaction from Jack. He wasn't asking for any sarcastic comments or a flippant remark. He'd already be satisfied with a bit of complaining. It was cold, nearly dark, and they were constantly tripping over one of those darned roots. Even so, Jack stayed silent and Daniel sighed slightly. Who would've thought he'd wish for the day he'd hear Jack O'Neill complain about trees?

Suddenly the sound of a breaking branch was heard from behind them and Daniel spun around to find himself nose to nose with a rifle of sorts. A smeared face appeared behind the weapon. They were surrounded by ten men, all tarnished like Daniel's captor. A quick glance told Daniel that Teal'c and Jack were aiming their weapons at the men, not that there was any point in doing so. They were hopelessly outnumbered. Not bad for a planet that was famous for its lack of human life.

"Lay down your weapons."

A tall man stepped out of the group, his weapon aimed at Teal'c.

"After you."

The man smirked at Jack's comment and pointed in Teal'c's direction, the green cape around his shoulders rustling slightly.

"He's a Jaffa. Even if we would trust you, we won't trust him."

Daniel had to fight down the urge to roll his eyes at the age old discussion. How many times had they already tried to convince the indigenous people of a planet that Teal'c wasn't a threat to them? Slowly, Daniel started to lower his Beretta. There was no way they could overthrow the other men and they needed to prove that they were trustworthy.

"Daniel!"

Jack's sharp command stopped the descent of Daniel's gun.

"Lower your weapons."

This time, Jack's order had been directed at the man who had spoken to them, apparently the leader of the group of natives. In this case, though, the harsh tone in Jack's voice had no effect whatsoever on the men. They all kept glaring at each other and Daniel was starting to get worried. He knew neither Jack nor Teal'c would back down and the natives' leader certainly didn't look like he was going to call it a day any time soon. Tension filled the air, it was nearly palpable, and Daniel held his breath, afraid of what might happen next.

All they had asked for was a simple and calm mission. Nothing special. Still, standing there with his gun in his hand, Daniel couldn't help but to wonder whether they had royally pissed off someone up there. There had to be a reason why they were always running into trouble, even on an uninhabited planet.

"Maarlin, tell your men to lower their weapons."

A soft, disembodied voice had spoken from somewhere before them, the speaker hidden in the wood's shadows. The voice sounded like the person, judging from the sound a woman, was used to giving orders. It was strangely familiar but Daniel couldn't place it no matter how hard he tried.

"These men came through the Stargate, Lovarra. This one is a Jaffa."

"I know, Maarlin. Lower your weapons."

As soon as the words had left the arrival's mouth, the natives stepped hesitantly down, following the order. Daniel exhaled deeply while lowering his own gun in reply to their display of trust.

"Daniel, did I tell you to stand down?"

Turning to face Jack, Daniel saw that Jack's weapon was still pointed at the natives' leader as was Teal'c's. He was about to make his friends see reason but stopped when the hooded figure spoke again.

"Lower your weapons, Jack, Teal'c. They won't hurt you."

With that, the woman stepped out of the shadows, the cowl of her green cape, similar to the ones the men wore, pulled deep over her face. In the twilight, Daniel was only able to see her mouth, turning now into a smile, when she brushed past him stepping closer to Jack. The upper half was hidden in darkness.

"Who the..."

Whatever it was Jack had wanted to say, the words caught in his throat when the woman that was now standing in the middle of their group and directly next to Jack brushed off her hood.

-----

Her hands were trembling as she reached up to brush back the hood, revealing her face. This was it. The moment she had been dreading, and, at the same time, longing for, for such a long time. Jack's mouth opened and shut. He was the very image of a fish out of the water.

"Jack, what...?"

She stopped Daniel's question short by turning around, allowing him to see her face. The harsh intake of breath and the look of shock on his face was enough proof of his recognition. It took him just a couple of seconds to recover, faster than Jack, and his face morphed from shock to relief.

"Sam? Is that really you?"

Sam. The name sounded strange to her ears. No one had called her that in a very long time and she relished the feeling of hearing it again. Daniel had already stepped closer to her, his eyes still wide in disbelief. Even Teal'c's stoic face mirrored Daniel's expression as he stepped towards her as well.

"Hi, Daniel."

She wasn't sure what had happened as from one second to the other she had been scooped up by Daniel who spun her around. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Maarlin had tensed up again, but a quick hand signal by her told him to stand down. Slightly breathless, Daniel set her down on the ground again, his eyes beaming with joy and thousand unspoken questions.

"But how...? I mean, we... you... How?"

"That's a long story, Daniel."

He nodded and hugged her again. It had been such a long time since anyone had held her like that. Within the Nicrea, the free ones, she had never been equal. No one would have dared such an open display of affection. She hugged Daniel in return, holding him close as if to convince herself that he was really here. When he released her from his grip, she could see Teal'c, grinning wide from ear to ear. That was something she hadn't anticipated.

"I am overjoyed to see you are well, Major Carter."

Major. Another thing she hadn't heard in a long time and that reminded her awfully of her old life. The one she had left behind so long ago. Or that had left her behind, depending on the point of view. At first, she had been angry at them, hoping they would come for her, rescue her. Especially hoping he, the Colonel, would come. She wasn't angry at him for what he had done. At first she had been, but it had only taken her a day to realize that it was probably her fault. How was he supposed to know? So, she had waited, clinging to a single truth, that her team would bring her home.

Days melted into weeks, and weeks melted to months, and doubt had started to tickle at the back of her mind. No matter how difficult the situation, she had always known that her team wouldn't leave her behind; that he wouldn't leave her behind. Had they left her behind? She had felt badly for mistrusting them, as if she were betraying them somehow, but, in the end, the one truth that had always been the foundation of her life broke down.

It had taken her time to come to terms with this; Ilfreane had helped her a lot. Obviously, they had thought her to be dead. Maybe she had been dead; for all she knew, it was most likely. Memories of that dark place crushed her mind and she struggled to keep her thoughts in the present. Nothing of these things were important now. This was all in the past. All that mattered was now. And, now, they were finally here.

"Hi, Teal'c. You've grown hair."

There wasn't anything profound she could have said, so she simply enjoyed the feeling of being engulfed in his strong arms. Now that they were here, she started to realize just how much she had missed them all. After all, during the four years on SG-1, they had grown to be a family. When Teal'c stepped back, she squeezed his shoulder one last time and blinked a tear away.

Turning around, she faced the one person that hadn't said a word until now. Jack had, by now, regained his composure and had schooled his face to show no emotion at all.

"Carter."

There it was and the coldness in his voice made her shiver. She scolded herself for being so stupid to expect more than that. So she answered with a tight, "Sir."

Though Sam wasn't sure, she thought she saw him flinch, but Jack O'Neill had always been a master of suppressing his emotions. Determined, she stepped away from her old friends to talk to Maarlin. There was still enough time to talk to them later that day no matter how much she wanted to stay with them. For now, there were more pressing issues that asked for her attention. The council had been rather upset when she had left but the news of a strange piece of technology, what turned out to be a MALP, that had arrived through the Gate had driven her to go and see it for herself.

"They're friends. Take them around; show them the place. I need to go back to the council meeting. When they're done, bring them to my quarters. They are my guests, understood?"

Maarlin nodded and she turned one last time to speak to her former team.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave. I'll see you after the council meeting. Maarlin here will show you the area and answer at least some of your questions."

She didn't give them time to respond. If she did, she might have been tempted to talk to them, to explain everything. That was one thing she couldn't allow herself now. This would have to wait until later that day.

Deep in thought, she rushed towards the great hall. Well, great hall was maybe a bit exaggerated but they couldn't risk revealing their position to anyone who might take a look at the planet. So, the great hall, meeting place of the Nicrea council, was in fact a hut made of wood, no larger than any other building in their camp.

As expected, the council wasn't too pleased with her departure, but they kept their resentment at bay. After all, she was the Lovarra and, even though she wished them not to, they still treated her different from the other council members. So, upon her return, the discussion went on like before. Suddenly, the door to the great hall was pushed open and a messenger entered the room. He moved past the astonished council members and military leaders and approached Sam, who was sitting at the head of a wooden table.

"Lovarra, our spies have made out movement of Cronus' troops. Several ships have left their home world just a couple of hours ago."

The distinct feeling of foreboding rushed through her and she kept her voice deliberately low, so that her words would only reach the messenger.

"Do we know their destination?"

"Their course leads them directly into our solar system. Our intelligence thinks they'll arrive here in two days."

Sam nodded and the messenger stepped back, letting the council discuss their next course of action. As expected, all hell broke loose as soon as Sam had broken the news to her comrades. Immediate evacuation was begun, but Sam knew that she couldn't leave now. She'd go as soon as possible, but she couldn't waste the chance that presented itself here. After all, she'd just stumbled over her lost friends. Maybe, this was her chance to keep her promise, to get Emily to safety.

...

  
_  
"Sam!"_

Hands pushed her down and a heavy weight pressed her to the ground. She realized quickly that the staff weapon blast must have missed her. The footfalls of several Jaffa were already within earshot and she crawled out from her position under Ilfreane, who had pushed her down, out of the way of the enemy fire. When she got on her knees, the stench of burned flesh in her nose made her stomach twist painfully.

Fear shot through her as she checked Ilfreane for injuries and found a massive wound on his chest, where the staff energy had made contact with his body. She had seen far too many such injuries not to know that this one was fatal. Still, she hoped beyond hope that maybe she could get him through the already opened Stargate. 

His green eyes found her blue ones and his look pleaded with her to go though he held fast to her hand. A small river of blood trickled from his mouth as he coughed violently. His grip on her hand lessened and their entwined hands fell down to her stomach, Ilfreane holding them fiercely in place.

"Bring our child home. Take it to safety and raise it to become a good leader. Please, Sam."

Tears quelled up in her eyes as she watched the light fading in the sparkling ones which had been her only light back in that dark prison. Giving his hand one last squeeze even though she knew he couldn't feel it anymore, she slowly got up to her feet. Brushing the tears away, she made her way to the Stargate and dove through just as the first Jaffa reached the clearing.

Fortunately, the Gate disengaged before any Jaffa were able to make it through and Sam found herself in the rock-covered clearing where she had seen her old team the last time. Her eyes fell on her barely bulging stomach. The life she carried was now the only thing left. Everything else had fallen apart around her, her life shattered in pieces. 

She took only one moment to regain her equilibrium before she set out on the path that, as Ilfreane had told her, would lead to the capital. If the city was still there. The last time she had only seen it from the distance, a burning red spot against the darkened sky.  
  


-----

The day had been more eventful than it had promised to be. They had found Samantha Carter, quite alive as it seemed. Though Teal'c had been overjoyed to see her again, a constant feeling of guilt was already starting to gnaw at his insides. He had been the one who had left her behind. He had felt the damp skin for any hint of the flutter that would announce she was still alive. He had turned his back on her when he had felt none.

While they were walking through the village, he heard Daniel Jackson asking all kinds of questions regarding their lost teammate. Though Maarlin was willing to explain general circumstances, he refused to elaborate on how the 'Lovarra' got here or anything else regarding her.

"So, what is this Nicrea? Are you the Nicrea?"

Daniel Jackson was as persistent as O'Neill was silent and Teal'c listened carefully to Maarlin's words.

"The Nicrea are the free ones. We are the Nicrea. A few turns ago, our planet was overrun by the Goa'uld and our Chief as well as his son were killed. The new ruler, the Chief's second son, Korfreane, was able to make a treaty. He rules over our planet in place of the Goa'uld. He makes the people work like slaves, no better than Cronus. We try to free our people. Unfortunately, we had to seek shelter on another planet. Our position on our home world had been compromised by one of our own. This is why we hide in the woods. Since then, Cronus has honored Korfreane with even more planets to watch over, while he is busy fighting his war."

Everything after the name Korfreane was lost on Teal'c. He knew the name. He knew the planet.

...

  
_  
"SG-2, Teal'c, you have a go. Bring her home."_

The voice of General Hammond boomed through the embarkation room and they stepped through the Stargate immediately, all eager to find answers. They were prepared for an attack, but as far as they were able to see the enemy was gone. Though the clearing still showed signs of the previous week's battle, the corpses seemed to have vanished as well as any other living Jaffa.

Soon Teal'c found the area where Major Carter had gone down. He would have known the place blindfolded. A red spot still marked where he had last seen her. Kneeling down, he touched the ground lightly. Though he had lived through the loss of many friends, it was always hard. Sudden rustle in the underground made him spin around in a matter of seconds.

The child that came tumbling out of the woods looked at him with big eyes. Fear was written all over its face. The crusted clothes were torn at some places and Teal'c could see some badly healed wounds on the boy's body. When Teal'c lowered his weapon, the eyes of the boy followed it. It was not the first time that the child had seen a Jaffa and, judging from his wounds, not the first time that he saw a staff weapon.

They soon found out that the boy had been hiding in the woods, since the deaths of his whole family in the attack one week ago. Reluctantly, the child showed them the way to the capital but refused to come along, adamant about staying in the woods. They were finally able to convince him to come home with them instead where they could deal with him later. Now they had to fulfill another mission goal. After sending the boy, Welan as he had introduced himself, to the SGC, they set off in the direction of the capital.

It was already late when they finally reached the outer parts of the city. Progress was slow as some buildings were still smoking, others collapsed and blocking the way, but the people seemed to rebuild their homes quickly. Fearful eyes followed Teal'c on his way to the inner parts the city. No other Jaffa crossed their way and Teal'c wondered why the Goa'uld had left this place. This culture obviously did not have the means to defend themselves, let alone win a battle against a mother ship. Apparently there had been something on this planet that Cronus, judging from the marks on the Jaffas' foreheads a week ago, had wanted. He would not discard the planet without having gotten what he had come here for, be it raw material or slaves.

They were already deep in the city when suddenly a man stepped in their way. His black hair fell in his green eyes and he watched Teal'c carefully, then scanned the other members of the small group. Finally, he shrugged slightly, making the thick brocade of his clothing rustle.

"My name is Korfreane. I'm the Chief of this land."  
  


...

His thoughts were disturbed when they stopped in front of a hut, not unlike the others.

"This is the Lovarra's home. She will join you after the council meeting."

With that, Maarlin left them alone. Inside the hut, the silence was pressing down on them like a blanket. Every one of them had their problems in coming to terms with Samantha Carter's sudden resurrection. Teal'c still wondered how she could be alive. He had seen her dead on the ground and they had found her indication marks, the dog tags, in the ashes.

...

  
_  
"I am sorry, but we always burn our dead. Your friend must have been among them."_

Teal'c had felt the heavy weight of the small pieces of disfigured metal tearing at his arm as he stood up, the rolled edges still pliant from the heat of the cinders. Carter, Samantha 36-6-349. The words were still legible and he closed his eyes for a second. He did not want to be the one to tell O'Neill. Unto this point, the other man had still harbored hopes, had thought that she might still be alive and everything had just been a mistake. He would be devastated when he learned otherwise. As difficult as it would be, Teal'c knew that he would not want anyone else to tell his friend either. Turning to the Chief, Teal'c saw nervousness flicker across the face of the man. He thought it to be fear of being punished.

"It is not your fault."

The chief nodded absently. Next to him he felt the young Captain of SG-2 shift uneasily. He seemed to feel it as well. Something was odd, though Teal'c did not dare to say what. It just did not feel right. The explanation the Chief had given them, that the Goa'uld had simply stopped their attack and had left the planet, did not sound plausible and Teal'c wanted to stay no longer than absolutely necessary on this planet where his friend had found death.

Tightening his grip on the metal plates in his hand, they soon started towards home.  
  


...

General Hammond had agreed that the Chief's story was rather unlikely but had been unwilling to risk more lives. The planet had been under survey for two years, but they had found nothing that had been enough to justify their suspicion.

Today, Teal'c had learned that his feelings had been right. These people here were the natural inhabitants of the planet on which Major Carter had been shot. Was it his fault? Had she still been alive when they had left the planet? What other reason was there to explain her presence in such a place?

The silence that reigned in the hut was enough to show him that every person in it was likely pondering similar thoughts.

-----

_"Welcome to P3X-590. This is your Colonel speaking. We hope you enjoyed your journey with Stargate Intergalactic Airlines. Please leave the seat belts on and take a look around. Ohhhhh, trees."_

Jack was barely able to make out the snort from Daniel. Even without turning around, he knew that Carter would try to suppress a smile; she'd done that a lot lately, seldom smiling full heartedly at his awful jokes. Ever since the... incident… with that damn Tok'ra lie detector thingy, they'd been only too aware of the watching eyes, waiting silently in each corridor, behind each tree, for them to show any sign of 'unusual' affection. He wondered whether it would always have to be like this, whether there would ever be a time where she could laugh at his jokes like she had done before. Tossing these thoughts back into the 'don't touch' box of his mind, he turned slowly around to scan their surrounding. 

Next to him, he saw Teal'c raise an eyebrow at him. Most likely questioning Jack's mental state. Jaffa humor simply didn't fit with O'Neill humor. This mixture was too obscure like the Seth guard joke one year ago had proved. Probably deciding that Jack wasn't worth the worry, Teal'c walked over to the DHD and quickly checked it, his eyes hardly leaving the woods.

Jack followed the example and they went to check the perimeter while Carter knelt down to retrieve some dirt from the ground. Why did she always do that, anyway? Jack knew she was running some tests, but what the heck could she possibly gain from looking at dirt? It was, well, dirt, for Pete's sake! A squeal from Daniel brought Jack back from Carter-watching to reality. Damn Daniel and his timing. Sighing, Jack looked over to where Daniel bounced, dreading what he knew would come next.

"This is… oh my gosh."

"Daniel?"

The younger man looked at him like a kid on Christmas. Obviously, he had found something utterly fascinating, something that had to do with the rock his friend was currently holding in his hands. God knew, there were plenty of rocks around here; hell, the whole clearing was covered in rocks. This was why Jack had struggled with Hammond to get assigned to another destination.

"It's a rock, Daniel."

"This is Old English, Jack. Look at it… Ne dearr ic for mines hlāfordes ege. I can't believe it. Maybe Sokar took more people through the Stargate than we had estimated. He must have abducted these people far earlier than the ones we met on P9X-3971. Remember, the planet with the demons and the Unas?"

"Those guys who tried to drown Teal'c."

"That's them."

Somehow the revelation did nothing to calm Jack. That had been close. If it hadn't been for junior, Teal'c would be dead by now. Who would've thought that Jack O'Neill would ever be thankful for one of those damned snakes?

Just as he was about to find out what exactly Daniel was implying, the chevrons on the Gate started to glow red one by one. They were hardly able to find shelter behind some of the low-growing bushes before the puddle sprang into life and Jaffa after Jaffa marched out of the Gate. A roar filled the air and Jack looked around to find a mother ship hovering in the distance. It descended in the general direction the Jaffa were marching, probably a city. Sun was already hanging pretty low over the horizon, effectively blinding him so that he couldn't see anything but the silhouette of the ship.

Figuring the best course of action was to wait, Jack told his team to stand down. They were helpless against such a force. So far, over a hundred Jaffa had marched through the Gate. It seemed as if this particular Goa'uld didn't want to, or couldn't, involve too many ships in this invasion, as the distant mothership was still the only visible sign of air attack. A couple of times, Jack thought he'd seen the reflection of some death gliders in the setting sun but the light gradually faded, the red sun sparkling every now and then, so he couldn't be sure whether he'd actually seen gliders. Sounds of a far battle war filled the air as the ship started to fire and he hated being stuck here.

Slowly, the stream of Jaffa ebbed away and the wormhole shut down. Night had already fallen over the land but, even though the darkness would cover them, Jack waited some time before he was sure that the Jaffa were gone. Then he signaled for Daniel to dial up the Gate. Daniel moved quickly, punching in the coordinates to safety. He was just a split-second too late.

The trap snapped shut the second the Gate engaged. They were sending through SG-1's IDC when above the distant roar the first shot ripped through the air, hitting the ground next to Daniel. Jack had no idea how the Jaffa could've known that they were there. He and Daniel delved for cover behind the DHD, waiting for earth's iris to be opened. Carter had found cover some yards away behind a stone and Teal'c was crouched behind the steps of the Gate.

Hidden within the underbrush and behind rocks, the enemy Jaffa were hardly to be spotted and Jack fired blindly in the general direction of the attack. There was a short silence in which he ushered Daniel towards the gate. Though the Jaffa started firing again, his friend made it through the event horizon and relief washed over Jack. One safe, two to go. Teal'c was crouching in front of the Gate, no doubt waiting to cover Jack's six when it was time for him to leave as well. He knew Carter was the nearest to the enemy though he couldn't see her. The DHD and several bigger rocks, though providing excellent shelter, blocked his sight and the encroaching darkness didn't help much either.

"Carter! Go, we'll cover you."

He was screaming in his radio above the roar of weapons all around him. The sound of an explosion filled the air and Jack saw something burning in the distance, its red glow only visible because of the all surrounding darkness. A part of him wondered how the Jaffa were still able to see their targets; he most definitely had problems.

Suddenly he heard a sound behind him. He spun around, pointing his weapon in the direction the sound had come from. In the dim light of the Stargate he barely saw the outlines of someone to his right, pointing a staff weapon at him. The business end of the staff opened and Jack's finger pulled the trigger out of his own volition, before his enemy had a chance to discharge the weapon. He watched the enemy fall to the ground and turned around to grab his radio once again to order Carter to get going.

"O'Neill!"

Teal'c's call above the noise of battle was distant, but it saved Jack from being toasted by the Jaffa who had approached on his left. Those guys were good, that much he had to admit. He hadn't noticed the second; he was still distracted by the first. In no time, he had taken out the Jaffa and grabbed his radio again.

"Carter, come in!"

She didn't answer his second call, like she hadn't answered the first. He hurriedly moved from his position behind the DHD to a rock on his left. She had to be just a couple of yards away but he wasn't able to see her. On his right, a death glider approached, its blasts setting some of the trees on fire. And then he saw it. Golden hair mixed with red. She was lying with her face in the dirt, a red pool forming around her. Horror filled him as he realized that her position was the same where he had taken down the first Jaffa. The staff weapon was still in her pale hands.

He froze on the spot, oblivious to the approaching Jaffa. After what seemed like an eternity, he shook himself out of his stasis and ran over to her. He'd just left his shelter when a blast hit his leg, sending him to the ground in the process. Ignoring the pain, he struggled to get up but a second blast hit him, this time on the shoulder. His eyes were still fixed on her when the world slipped away into darkness. 

...

The door to the hut was tossed open, shaking Jack out of his memories and there she was, standing in front of him. Quite alive and well, as it seemed. Still Jack had no idea how she could've survived. Teal'c had brought him home the day she died, well, supposedly died. A week after, Teal'c had headed out to the planet once again. It had been the first time that the MALP had shown no signs of the Goa'uld and they wanted to retrieve her body. Unfortunately, the enemy wasn't the only thing that had disappeared. Behind the stone where she had initially hidden, they'd found her P-90 and her radio, both fried and rendered useless by a staff weapon. She must have been hit and lost the radio and the weapon and had found a staff weapon with which to defend herself with. Jack had thought the whole fight through and through during his long hours in the infirmary. He should have been able to see that she was too small for a Jaffa. He should have waited to fire. Sometimes it helped to blame it on her. But it never worked for long. Sooner or later, it would all boil down to one hard fact. He had killed her. Teal'c had told him that he'd checked on her before they'd left the planet. She had been dead.

How could she still be alive? Why hadn't she tried to contact them? All those questions, combined with an unbearable amount of guilt coursed through him since the moment he had seen her just a couple of hours ago. He should have been relieved, should have been happy, but the relief and happiness lasted only a couple of seconds. Somehow, seeing her made it even worse. He had shot her and then left her behind to rot. How could he ever look her in the eye with this knowledge? He didn't leave his people behind.

Marley had shown them around the place but not even Daniel had been able to work up more than a small amount of enthusiasm. Obviously, Jack wasn't the only one who had questions. She stepped further into the room and shut the door behind her.

-----

Sam quickly shed her green cape as Daniel's eyes followed her through the hut. She had changed so much during the last six years. But then, so had they. Her blond hair was longer, bound back in a ponytail so that it wouldn't get in her way. The cape had hidden clothes, similar to those he had seen around the camp, but instead of the brown and green that had been predominant in the settlement, Sam's were of a dark blue. They seemed to be made from some kind of silk, glistening slightly in the dimming light. Daniel's eyes traveled up to her face. The lines in her face were deeper and her skin tanned. She looked more worn out, more weary, the sparkle in her blue eyes gone.

When he'd met her earlier that day, he had been so happy to see her again. It felt like some part that had been missing for too long had been returned to him. But now that he had had the time to think and despite the joy that still filled his heart, pesky thoughts had started to manifest themselves in his head.

He still had no idea how she could still be alive. Teal'c had seen her dead and that was enough proof to Daniel. He couldn't, wouldn't believe that Teal'c had simply failed to notice a pulse. Was she a Goa'uld? No, Teal'c would've known. The naquadah in Daniel's blood had reacted to her, but surely what he had just felt was the trace left behind by Jolinar. Otherwise he would have said something, wouldn't he?

Still, even though his mind was busy trying to find answers and fit together the pieces of the puzzle, doubts were gnawing at his insides. Why hadn't she tried to return to them? Why was she here when they were still fighting a fight that seemed to be futile? The fronts were closing in on them and Daniel had more than once wished to have her at his side again. All the while she had been here, safe and sound while he had watched good friends and beloved die.

Cassie, Janet... gone. He wasn't even sure how much longer Earth would be able to withstand the powers that were pressing down on it. They had needed her, had needed Jack but he had been too caught up in his pain to notice. Daniel sighed bitterly as he watched her light a fire and sit down on the last chair left.

The light from the flickering red licked her face and Daniel watched her examine her former teammates. He wondered what she saw in their faces. Did she see the losses they had had to bear? Did she see the pain, the torture? Did she see how much he had missed her?

...

_"Doctor Jackson, report!"_

"I don't know what's taking them so long, General. We found some traces of civilization on the planet that I wanted to look at when the Gate was activated. Obviously we've been running into an invasion. We were able to hide in the woods until the Jaffa left the Gate and Jack waited until it was dark to dial back. When the Gate activated, we were attacked by some Jaffa. We didn't even know they were still there. I went through the Gate first. I don't know what happened then, Sir. They should be here any second."

Hammond nodded, a flicker of worry passing his face before turning around to watch the sparkling blue. Daniel's eyes never left the horizon as time ticked away and he found himself praying. He nearly jumped when the horizon was finally disturbed by a huge form walking through, carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder.

"Close the iris!"

"Medical personnel to the Gate."

He barely heard the calls, all his attention fixed on the unconscious man. He only snapped out of his stasis when the iris slipped shut and the Gate disengaged. When Teal'c laid Jack down on the stretcher, Daniel saw the wounds on his shoulder, his knee, and felt fear rising within him. What had happened after he had gone through and where was Sam?

"Teal'c, report!"

"We were attacked by Jaffa. O'Neill is injured. Major Carter is dead."

It took some moments for the words to register with Daniel. His mind went numb as he watched Jack being rolled out of the room and his eyes fell back on Teal'c. Though Daniel wanted to scream at him, calling him a liar, he knew the truth. He could see it in Teal'c's clouded eyes, could see the sorrow and pain. She was dead. How could she be dead? He had talked to her just minutes ago. How could she be dead?

The world went black around him and he didn't remember anything until he woke up in the infirmary. Jack lay on the bed next to him, his body awfully pale and still and Daniel just watched his chest until he was satisfied by the steady rising and falling. And then he remembered. She was gone, never to return again. At that moment, he even envied Jack for the mindless sleep he was in. Daniel didn't have that comfort and hot tears ran down his cheeks as he cried for what he had lost.

-----

It was late afternoon and the sun lit the hut poorly. She was barely able to see the three people sitting at the table. The air was filled with awkward silence, the joy she had seen on Daniel and Teal'c's faces gone. Shivering, whether due to the cold that crept up with the shadows outside or from the cool radiation inside her hut, she didn't dare to say.

None of the guys spoke, not even Daniel. When the fire lit the hut, she was finally able to see their faces. It was the first time she actually looked at them closer. They had changed a lot during the last six years but, then, she had as well. Still she was shocked as she scanned them.

She had noticed the second she saw them that something was different with the uniforms. The vests were somewhat thicker, maybe a protection of sorts. Now they had taken off their vests but still had them directly at hand. They didn't trust her enough to let down their guard but Sam couldn't hold that against them. She was about to take a leap of faith as well, as time was a luxury she couldn't afford right now. Her eyes found Daniel's blue ones and held them for a second, though she had to look down quickly. The sight was too painful to stand.

Her friend's formerly cheerful eyes now held a shade of sadness, like a blanket of pain and worry. Something had broken him and icy fingers ran up her spine at the thought of what must have happened to destroy him like this. A scar ran over his face right under his lower lip. He seemed lost, like the man she had seen back in the Gamekeeper's never-ending dream who had just lost his parents.

Sam's eyes wandered further to Teal'c. It was hard to tell but she thought that his features had become harder; at least, he had visibly aged. Several crinkles marked the face of the unbowing warrior, lines of sorrow if she read his expression correctly. Black hair had grown on the formerly bald head, somehow making him look more human like and weaker, not an attribute she would have associated with her strong friend.

Half dreading to take a closer look at the last member of her former team, she faced the guarded eyes of Jack O'Neill that evaded hers. He was sitting slightly apart from the rest of the group. His hair was now completely gray and the lines on his face had become much deeper. What disturbed her most were his normally so busy hands. She had never seen him like that. He was, for the first time since she had met him so many years ago, completely still. No movement at all, not even a blink.

Breathing was suddenly so much harder as she thought about what must have happened to them. They were not even close to the SG-1 she remembered so vividly. An unspoken question was hanging above them, nearly palpable. The Jack O'Neill or the Daniel Jackson she had known wouldn't have hesitated to ask, but these people were different.

Straightening her shoulders, she began her story with one shuddery breath.

"After you'd left me," she paused and tried to soften the statement, "After you _left_, the Jaffa brought me to a mothership. The Goa'uld who had attacked the planet used the sarcophagus to revive me.

...

_A bright light greeted her when she opened her eyes. The breathtaking pain that had claimed her mere seconds ago was gone and she took a deep breath, surprised by the ease with which she was able to suck the air in. She lay in a narrow room, a blinding light engulfing her. Quickly Sam checked her clothes which were torn where the staff blast had hit her and bullet holes marked her green shirt. Even so, the skin underneath was smooth and unmarked. Suddenly, the low ceiling above her started to part and realization dawned. She was in a sarcophagus. Starting in alarm, she searched for her combat knife, but any weapon she had carried when she went down was gone. If only she knew who had put her in the sarcophagus._

"I see you have woken up, Major Carter."

The face that appeared above her was only too familiar. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to see this woman again, at least, not alive. Her black hair fell into her face and she looked rather worn out, not her usual, evil self. Sitting up as soon as the lids allowed it, Sam fixed the woman in front of her with a deadly glare. Niirti walked toward a window at the far end of the room and Sam decided to use the chance for an escape. The Goa'uld certainly didn't expect her to escape mere seconds after her healing.

Sam jumped out of the sarcophagus and fled to the closed door. Fortunately, the door split apart as soon as Sam approached. Unfortunately, the guards outside didn't. She was tossed back and made hard contact with the floor.

"There is no way for you to escape. You are too valuable to lose. I did not expect Cronus to find someone of your specimen on this planet but I am very pleased that he did."

Niirti towered above her and Sam quickly got to her feet. Military training had ingrained her with the knowledge that it was better to stay silent. Sill, the temptation was just too big.

"I won't tell you anything. You can as well let me go."

A smile twisted the Goa'uld's cold lips as she stepped closer until her face was just inches away from Sam's.

"You do not understand. I can't let you go. I'm a mere prisoner working for Cronus, thanks to you. Further, you should know that it is not your knowledge that Cronus wants. It is you."

The smile died on the Goa'uld's lips and Niirti called for some Jaffa to take Sam to her cell. She was dragged inside and thrown rather unceremoniously on the ground. Trapped in yet another Goa'uld prison.

It took her some time to notice that she wasn't alone in the cell. There was someone else with her. The man was watching her with big green eyes, a sad smile on his lips. He seemed to have taken some beating and he winced at the pain his lip movement caused, the split in his lip cracking open again and a small river of blood tickling down his chin.

"So, they took you as well. My name is Ilfreane. Who are you?"

...

"Later, I found out that Niirti was trying to succeed in her search for a Hak'taur, an advanced human. Cronus allowed her to continue her work as long as she didn't acquire ships or the like and presented all her results. He had attacked the planet because Niirti believed the gene pool there matched her requirements. There were some myths about the people there that drew her attention. They took me for the same cause, an added bonus if you will. Of course, it came in handy that she'd have a host around should the need arise. I was her prisoner for nine months."

Sam hesitated, wondering how much she should tell the three men. Daniel's and Teal'c's eyes had never left her, the Colonel was still determinedly watching the floor, though she had seen him flinch at times. Making her decision, she started again.

"Cronus had given Niirti a fortress. I was able to escape when her fortress was attacked by another Goa'uld. The Nicrea found me and I stayed with them..."

Any further explanation was stopped short by the sound of an explosion in the distance.

**

TBC

**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yes, I agree, it would be unusual for Sam not to come home after the incident. I hope the next part will make clear why she didn't. So please, bear with me.

**

Chapter 2

**

"What the hell?"

Jack was cut short as Carter hurried out of the hut and ran off in the opposite direction of the explosion, muttering something about 'too early'. At loss for a better idea, he grabbed his equipment and followed her, his team trailing behind. The roaring sound of death gliders could be heard in the distance and Jack caught Carter's arm, yanking her backwards and stopping her immediately. Her head shot around as she glowered at him, the long hair flying with the movement.

"Let me go!"

"The Stargate is this way, Carter."

"Sir, let me GO!"

With one quick move, she had freed herself and Jack had hit the ground. Daniel and Teal'c shifted immediately, stepping closer to him as they eyed Carter suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get Emily. We didn't expect Cronus to attack this early. We thought we still had time. I need to get her out of here."

She was already on her way, fleet steps following a path to the southern end of the settlement.

"Who is Emily?"

Daniel's voice caught up with her and she glanced back though she never stopped running. Jack was just picking himself off the ground but was knocked back by her answer.

"My daughter, Daniel."

Wheels clicked in his head as the pieces of the puzzle started falling together. Carter had built herself a home within these people. She had settled down, had become a mother. This was why she hadn't returned to the SGC. Still, she could've told them that she was alive. Didn't she care for any of them enough to let them know? The guilt that had been his constant companion for six years, that had nearly overwhelmed him since he'd seen her alive, was now slowly replaced by anger. They had been worried sick. They had grieved her loss while she had been playing housewife for some woodman, oblivious to the pain her friends suffered.

Teal'c helped him to his feet again and Carter was soon lost in the woods. It was already dark, but the cleared paths in the thick woods were still visible.

"Her daughter."

The words didn't have less impact when whispered by Daniel and Jack faced him furiously.

"Damn right, Daniel. Her daughter. She's been living the whole picket fence thing while we were fighting for our lives. She didn't even care enough to let us know that she was well."

He knew he'd struck a chord when Daniel fell silent, his face faltering. Even Teal'c's raised eyebrow sank in response to Jack's words. So, he wasn't the only one who had problems with that. Cleaning himself from the last leaves, he turned around and started off towards the Gate.

"Come on, guys. Let's go home. She doesn't care. Why should we?"

Jack had taken five steps when he realized that no one was following him. Spinning around furiously, he met the accusing eyes of Daniel.

"What? She doesn't care. Come on."

"No Jack. I think there's more to it and, even if you're right, even if she doesn't care, I do. She's still my friend, despite everything that has happened. I won't leave her alone. Not if I can help her."

"WHAT?"

Throwing his arms in the air, Jack turned to Teal'c.

"T, buddy. Let's go home."

His friend seemed to at least consider the option, before he answered.

"I do not think leaving would be wise. I agree with Daniel Jackson. It was I who left Major Carter behind. I could not forgive myself if I left her now."

"Fine. Suit yourself. I don't care!"

Turning around, Jack stomped off down the path that would lead him to the Stargate. He could feel Daniel's eyes on him while he walked away, cursing under his breath. Damn friends. Who needed them, by the way? Just another thing to get attached to. Just another way to get hurt.

"Jack."

He wasn't giving in. Not now. Not this time. Carter obviously didn't give a damn about them. Why should he help her?

"Jack."

"No, Daniel. I won't help her."

"She's still Sam Carter, you know. Just think about it. Could you live with the knowledge that you left her when she needed help? Could you live with the knowledge that you left her behind?"

Daniel didn't have to say it. The 'again' rang as clearly as every word he had spoken out loud. Closing his eyes for a split second, Jack faced the reality of the last six years.

Could he live with leaving her behind? A simple question to which he knew the answer quite well. No, he couldn't. If the last years had shown him one thing then it was this. Slowly, he turned around, the beam of his flashlight drawing a circle on the leaf-covered ground until it stopped at Daniel's feet. He was thankful that the small explosions that were ripping through the nightly air were still in the far north of the settlement, several clicks away. He had no idea how he could've dealt with this situation under attack.

"Okay. Let's get Carter and her daughter."

-----

Sam thought her heart was going to explode as she finally reached the hut. She'd left Emily at Shmela's, hoping to explain things to the guys without her around. Shmela had been her closest friend through the last years and she was the only person on this planet Sam trusted completely. Even with her life, or given the situation, the life of her daughter.

Though Sam knew that the guys had probably gone home she couldn't deal with it right now. She didn't want them to leave. Years, months ago, when she had still thought about meeting them again some day, at some point in the future, she had always asked herself how she would react to them. Would all the subdued anger at leaving her behind rise again? Today, she found that none of that anger was left. It had dissipated into thin air and all that remained was joy at seeing her dearly missed friends again. But nothing of it mattered now. They were gone. There were still so many things she wanted them to understand and it hurt like hell that she'd lost her friends for good this time and, maybe, there was some anger at not having the chance to explain. Explain about Emily. Explain why she hadn't contacted the SGC. Explain her fears for her daughter.

Even so, there was nothing she could do about it for the time being. Her priority was Emily, would always be Emily. Had she known that the Goa'uld would strike so soon, she wouldn't have let Emily out of sight. Why had she hesitated? She should have send Emily with the first ship that left after the council meeting today.

They'd started to evacuate the settlement after the news of a probable attack had been broadcasted. If she had to guess, she'd say there were only about 100 people still on the planet. Why hadn't she send Emily with the first to leave? 

After what seemed like hours, she reached Shmela's hut. The door was wide open and Sam rushed inside. To her utter horror, the hut was empty. Just then did she realize that Shmela must have taken Emily with her to the ships that were waiting to bring the last people into safety.

Turning around, she followed the trail back for a couple of minutes. The sounds of the explosions were now nearer than before and she hoped their ships would get through the death gliders safely. In the darkness, she knew her way around; she had traveled this path a thousand times. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, allowing her to see the outlines of the trees around her.

Because of this, the bright light that suddenly met her eyes blinded her. It was lowered in a split second, while a muttered 'Sorry' reached her ears, the voice making her heart miss one beat.

"Sir, I thought you'd left."

"Well, yeah... there's that."

Though she still couldn't see a thing, she heard him shuffle nervously.

"We thought you might need our help."

"Daniel?"

"Indeed. It is us, Major Carter."

Despite the situation she couldn't help a smile slip on her lips. They hadn't left. Another explosion was heard and Sam found her mind returning to Emily. Fortunately, her sight was returning and now they even had flashlights.

"Follow me. We need to get to the ships. This way."

"Which ships?"

Sam heard Daniel's voice behind her but was already on the way. There was still enough time for explanations. Or, at least, she hoped there was. Praying that Emily was alright, she rushed through the dark woods, closely followed by her former team until she came to the clearing that had been the ramp for the ships. Only one was left.

"Mommy!"

The shrill voice pierced the air and Sam saw the little girl on Shmela's arms reach out for her. They had waited for them in front of the ship and the girl squirmed free and ran to Sam in no time.

Cradling her daughter in her arms, Sam turned to face the others as the sound of an explosion close to their position filled the air. The Stargate was no longer an option, cut off behind the line of attack.

"We can't wait any longer, Lovarra."

She nodded in Shmela's direction and motioned for everyone to step inside before the doors shut behind them.

"I thought you wouldn't come, Mommy. Like in my dreams."

Shifting her attention solely on the girl in her arms, she soothed the tears that fell from her daughter's eyes away.

"It's okay, honey. Mommy's here and I won't go away, okay?"

The small head nodded on her shoulder and Sam sat down on one of the chairs, gesturing for SG-1 to do the same. They were about to start and, if she wasn't mistaken, this wouldn't be a smooth take off. Not with death gliders out there trying to bring them down.

"Put on your belts, okay guys? This is gonna be rough."

-----

They heard the engines power up as the ship prepared for the lift off. It was a rather small ship. Daniel guessed there were only two or three more people on board than he'd already seen. The sound of a new explosion reached even over the noise of the engines and the ship shook lightly. Just a moment later, he felt the weird tingle in his stomach that showed him they had just taken off.

Securely pressed into the seats of the ship, Daniel felt it shake as several blasts hit them. The little girl in Sam's arms whimpered softly but didn't cry once as the ship shook even more violently. If Daniel had to guess, he'd say the girl was about four or five years old and she already held herself better than many adults would given the situation.

Another blast hit the ship and they sank for a couple of seconds until the pilot got the ship under control. Sam shifted nervously in her seat and opened the seatbelt as soon as the tremors of the ship died down. Murmuring something into the girl's ear, she pressed it into Daniel's arms.

"I need to talk to the pilot. Take care of her, Daniel."

He simply nodded and cradled the kid in his arms. Large blue eyes watched him under long strands of black hair. The blue eyes that were so unmistakably Sam's were full of curiosity and just a hint of fear. Already as strong as her mother. Sam smoothed the girl's hair briefly before she ran off in the direction of what Daniel assumed was the bridge.

"Hi, I'm Daniel."

The girl smiled at him and Daniel knew at that moment she had already captured his heart. Her voice was as sweet as the smile when she finally spoke up.

"I'm Emily."

He fastened his grip around the girl as another tremor shook the ship, but she simply kept on smiling up at him.

"Don't worry, Daniel. Mommy will make the bad men go away."

She spoke with such force that Daniel looked at her in surprise. For just a moment, he thought he saw a deeper wisdom hiding in those eyes that seemed to have turned a much darker shade, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. 

"I'm sure she will, Emily."

Emily wrapped her little arms around his neck and they waited for Sam to return. Over the dark head, he could feel Jack's eyes resting on them. Well, he couldn't say he was not surprised by this latest revelation. They found out that one of their dearest friends, thought long dead, was not only still alive but she had a daughter. A part of Daniel couldn't help but wonder who the father might be.

"He's gone."

"What?"

Daniel pushed the girl a bit away until he was able to look her in the eyes.

"What did you say, Emily?"

"My Daddy. He's gone."

"How did you know wha…"

Daniel couldn't finish that question. The ship shook violently and the worried look in his friends' eyes told him that this was bad. The Goa'uld must have hit something vital. This assumption was confirmed when Sam came rushing back into the room.

"Our engines were hit. The console exploded and the pilot is badly injured. We need to go down. The only planet within reach that supports life is some light-years away, but I'll be able to get us there. Good news is the gliders are gone."

Sam crouched down next to Daniel, holding what looked suspiciously like a map in her hands.

"Emily, honey. Mom needs you to concentrate, okay? Where is the best place for us to land?"

Surprised by the question, Daniel watched as the little girl closed her eyes. Her black brows furrowed as she seemed to think hard. Suddenly her hand shut out, pointing to a place somewhere on the southern hemisphere of the planet. The blue eyes opened again and she looked at her mom expectantly.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Stay with Uncle Daniel and listen to what he says, okay?"

Kissing the top of the girl's head, she was gone again and left a stunned 'Uncle' Daniel behind.

-----

The planet grew in the window at a sickening speed and Sam was starting to doubt her plan. The entrance angle was pretty steep and she wasn't sure whether the atmosphere would slow down the ship enough to allow a smooth landing. Without the engines, she certainly couldn't do that. She had hardly managed to correct the course in the first place, now there wasn't really much she could do but pray.

"Lovarra."

"I know, Shmela. We're too fast."

The ship started to heat up, a sign that they had entered the atmosphere. At least the steep angle had allowed them to enter the atmosphere and they hadn't skipped off like a stone on the water. Another fortunate turning point was that the shields had survived the attack without any major damage and were able to bear the brunt of their entrance. Still, the temperature rose distinctly and a sheen of sweat covered each person on the ship.

Though Sam was pretty sure the dead pilot couldn't have handled the situation any better, she hadn't flown since she left the SGC and she could've used his help. She hadn't told the others that the pilot was dead though she was pretty sure Emily already knew the truth.

When they entered a thick layer of clouds, they lost sight of the planet below them. Even so, she knew they were descending too fast. _Still_ too fast. The entry in the planet's atmosphere hadn't slowed them down enough. Now all Sam could do was to try and adjust the wings, so the friction of the wind would stop them. She hoped.  
Better the friction of the wind than the friction of the ship hitting the ground.

They broke through the clouds just as Sam had done the last adjustments. Below them lay a green countryside with forests flanked by wide green plains. Every now and then a lake broke the green and, on their left, was the shore of a seemingly endless sea. It seemed like Emily had chosen a good place to live in. Given their position from the planetary poles, Sam hoped for moderate climate and the sensors promised enough lifeforms to provide food. Of course, first they would have to survive the landing.

The ground came closer and Sam braced herself for the impact. But the impact never came. They touched down without the lightest blow. She wondered for a moment what could've happened until she heard Daniel call her name. Suddenly she understood.

Emily hang limp in his arms and he laid her gently down on the floor.

"I don't know what happened, Sam. She closed her eyes and a few seconds later lost consciousness."

Checking quickly for a pulse, Sam touched Emily's cheek softly. Cold sweat covered her pale skin and Sam kissed her daughter lightly on the forehead to check for temperature, even though she didn't expect her to be feverish.

"I know, Daniel. There's nothing you could've done."

"She did it again."

They turned at the sound of Shmela's voice and Sam nodded at her friend, who smiled in return.

"Care to explain what's going on here, Carter?"

Spinning around, she faced the Colonel with a straight back. His accusatory expression wouldn't make her back down. She had seen the looks he'd given Emily and she wouldn't allow him to let his anger out on her daughter. Did he expect her to be grateful that he hadn't left her behind this time, that he hadn't killed her this time?

"Not at the moment, Sir,"she replied tightly. "These ships were designed for short range. We've got some supplies but I'm not sure how long they'll last. I need to check the engine for its damage and we need to set up a camp. So, if you'll excuse me."

Picking up her daughter, she carried her to a small room in the back of the ship that had been designed as short-term quarters and laid her down on the bed. She knew that the girl would wake up in a couple of hours. Brushing the black locks out of her face, Sam left Emily with Shmela, knowing that she would take good care of the child until she woke. Till then, Sam planned to determine the damage to the engine.

She hoped they wouldn't be damaged beyond repair. If they were, she doubted they would ever get off this planet on their own accord. There appeared to be no native population, at least as far as the scans showed. The Colonel seemed to have recovered from his shock when she came back into the room.

"So, as someone seems to have given you command on this, what do you plan to do, Major?"

The stressing of the last word was clear and Sam raised her chin in defiance as she prepared to face the vengeful man. 

"Jack!"

Daniel's voice told him to back down, but the Colonel simply ignored him, his eyes fixed on her, pure anger reflecting in them.

"No Daniel! She's living her happily ever after on that damn planet while Earth is going to hell, while her best friends die, and she doesn't even care enough to let us know she's alive. I don't take commands from her."

Did he really think this of her? Did he really think she wouldn't have returned home if she had had the chance? God, how could she ever have missed him? She had been such a fool. It would've been better for everyone if they had just returned home.

Furious, she bit back a comment about being left for dead herself, she returned his glare until he averted his eyes. She stomped off towards the doors, hoping he hadn't, or, maybe, that he had, seen the hurt in her face. Only when the ship's doors closed behind her did she realize what exactly he had said. 'While her best friends die.'

-----

"Great, Jack! Perfect."

"What, Daniel? Don't tell me you're okay with what she's done. I know you far too well believe that."

"All I'm saying is that you don't know why she didn't make contact. Face it, Jack, there's a lot you don't …"

Teal'c interrupted. "Would it not be best to assist Major Carter in determining the damage to the ship's engines? Should this not be our priority as it would have been had Major Carter been someone else?"

Teal'c could directly see O'Neill's anger fade as rationality sank in. Even after living under the Tau'ri for ten years, Teal'c was still sometimes confused by their ways. Though he had occasionally doubted his decision to follow O'Neill during the last years, he knew that this was still the only way to lead his people into freedom and had remained with his friends and allies. During this time, he had learned how to deal with the often irrational behavior his friends displayed and had found that O'Neill was far more likely to listen to recommendations when such recommendations came from him and not Daniel Jackson.

O'Neill fell silent as he thought about their situation, maybe for the first time since their landing.

"Okay. You're right, Teal'c. Carter's none of my business. We make sure that we get off this planet ASAP. We've got enough worries at home."

Though this was not exactly what Teal'c had aimed for, it would be sufficient for their purposes. They had to find out whether they would be able to get off the planet. If the engines turned out to be damaged beyond repair, they needed to verify all threats that might be on this planet.

"Daniel, go check on the girl and see whether they need any help. Talk to this woman and try to find out anything that might be useful. I'll take a look around. Teal'c, you're with me."

They left the ship and Teal'c could feel the tension that radiated from his friend. He was, undoubtedly, looking for Major Carter, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. When Teal'c took in the surrounding, he saw that they had landed on a wide green plain. About one click to their left was a small forest and he followed O'Neill in this direction.

"You all right with this, Teal'c?"

"This, O'Neill?"

The other man gestured vaguely in the air and Teal'c again noted just how much O'Neill had changed in a single day. He was not certain that his friend had noticed the difference, but Teal'c was sure Daniel Jackson had. It seemed as if O'Neill had awoken from some kind of stasis, maybe induced by the guilt of killing his teammate, maybe something more. Teal'c had been witness to the forced confessions made in the little room back at the SGC over six years prior and was well aware of the tension between the former teammates.

Even so, Teal'c knew only too well that this topic was best left alone and settled for a more diplomatic approach.

"There are still many issues to be discussed."

"So, ya think I was wrong?"

Considering the question carefully, Teal'c chose his next words.

"Major Carter has not had the chance to tell us everything. I believe there may be more to the situation than is openly displayed."

O'Neill nodded as they walked silently the perimeter of the forest and Teal'c sighed inwardly. At least the other man seemed to be considering his answer.

-----

She watched silently as the two men walked away and only came out of the shadows when they had nearly reached the edge of the forest. Jack's words had hurt her deeply and they still coursed through her head. 'She's living her happily ever after on that damn planet while Earth is going to hell, while her best friends die and she doesn't even care enough to let us know she's alive.'

Even though a cursory look at the engines had told her more than she wanted to know, her hands started automatically to scan for damage while her eyes gazed unseeing into the distance. She wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway as tears blurred her vision. Kicking viciously at the metal hull of the ship, she cursed loudly.

"You God-damned bastard! You think I chose this?"

Her words faded unheard and she leaned back against the hull. Suddenly her knees buckled and she sank to the ground, all defenses crumbling like dry bread. There was no need to be alarmed. The ship's scans had confirmed that there was no threat on this planet apart from the one they had brought here. For the first time since she left Ilfreane behind, she allowed herself to cry freely.

...

  
_  
"It hurts."_

"I know, Sam. Just breathe."

His black hair had grown since their capture and some locks fell over his eyes as she fixed them with desperation. She only had to cling onto them. They were the only thing that was real. Everything else had just disappeared. Her team had left her. Wouldn't come back. He had said he wouldn't go and yet he had left her behind. It had taken her six long months to figure it out but today had been too much. She'd die here and he wouldn't come.

Ilfreane's hand soothed back her hair and came to rest on her cheek. His voice was soft as he stared at her.

"Shhhh, Sam. Don't think about it. It's not their fault. Try to forget it, just for today."

"I don't know how. They... He..."

His finger on her lips stopped and tears welled up inside of her. She knew Ilfreane was right. It wasn't his fault. He would've come if he knew. Maybe Earth was under attack. Maybe he was dead. Maybe he thought she was dead. Well, today she wished she was. This last session in Niirti's machine had been too much, too painful.

"It's gonna be okay, Sam. I'm gonna make it okay, I promise. Just let me in. If only for today, let me be the one you cling to."

For a long time she sobbed silently. When she finally nodded, he picked her softly off the ground and carried her over to where they slept on the straw. His hands cupped her cheeks for a long time and, when they left, the pain had lessened. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and the pain was gone. Only for today, she might be able to let Jack O'Neill go.

...

Three months later, she had stepped through the Gate onto Ilfreane's home world, carrying his child under her heart. She wouldn't say she had regrets, because she didn't. He had been her only light in the darkness, when the light that had been Jack had left her for dead. He had been her only way to stay sane in that doomed place.

On arrival on Kasmuu, Ilfreane's home, she hadn't been able to walk more than three steps towards the capital before she had been surrounded by the Nicrea.

...

_"Who are you?"_

A dark-haired man clothed in green clothes stepped in her way, a weapon pointed at her.

"My name is Samantha Carter. Who are you?"

"Where are you going?"

"Isn't this the way to the capital? So, what does it look like?"

The weapon had risen at that point and she thought that maybe the O'Neill way wasn't the best to deal with this situation.

"You are loyal to the chief?"

It was a fifty-fifty situation. Either answer could be wrong and Sam tried to settle for the truth.

"Well, in a way, I guess you can say that."

Before she knew what was going on, the weapon had been placed over her heart and her hands had been towed back by two men that had stepped unnoticed behind her.

"You came through the Ring? Do you know how to use it?"

"Why should I tell you?"

The pressure of the weapon rose and Sam bit back another curse. It wasn't only her life she was playing with after all.

"Yes. I know how to use it."

Fortunately, the weapon left and so did the man. The two others grabbed her by the arms and led her into the woods. They walked some miles until they reached a small campsite. The sun had just started to set and the fires in the camp were low. It didn't take long for Sam to figure out that those people were hiding from something. Judging from the former conversation, she'd guess the King, Ilfreane's father. If this was the case, there was no way she could reveal her pregnancy or the father's identity.

The men tossed her into a small tent and Sam fell to the ground with a damp noise.

"Shmela, take care of her. This prisoner might be useful."

Her guards left and she was alone with the strange woman. A prisoner once again.

...

"Lovarra, she wakes up."

Shmela had called her from the entrance, a couple of feet away and Sam quickly brushed the tears from her eyes. When she reached Shmela, her friend eyed her suspiciously but, if she'd seen the tears, she didn't comment on them. Sam rushed inside as fast as she could only to find Emily already awake and up.

The little girl sat on Daniel's lap while asking him all kinds of questions. Apparently Emily had taken an instant liking in Daniel and Sam smiled at the sight. Times like these were seldom, where Emily seemed to be just like any girl of four years and Sam relished them.

She watched her daughter and her 'uncle' for a couple of minutes until she was noticed.

**Chapter 3**

Hammond was gonna kill him. That was for sure. Within less than 24 hours his whole life had been turned upside down. Not only had he found a dead member of his team alive, nooooo… He had found her daughter as well and gotten stuck on some planet. With trees, of course. Always, the trees. When he'd found Carter, strangely enough, the last thing on his mind had been to return to the Gate and inform Hammond. Of course, at that point, he had still thought there'd be plenty of time but, to be honest, he hadn't really cared. Now, if they didn't find a damn Stargate on this planet or another way off this rock, Hammond would have to wait for his report even longer.

Unfortunately, his CO wasn't his only problem. He had no idea what to think, let alone feel. Ever since they had lost Carter, guilt had eaten him alive and the sudden reunion had thrown him into a lethal cocktail of guilt, anger, irritation, frustration, and a thousand of other feelings that he didn't want to explore. Normally he was pretty good at keeping his emotions at bay, at not letting them interfere with his missions. God knew he had proved that often enough. He might have stumbled from time to time, but his actions had never endangered his team or a mission.

...

_"Because I care about her... more than I'm supposed to."_

...

Even so, his earlier outbreak showed that this wasn't a normal situation. He wasn't even sure what had prompted it. Okay, he was angry at her for not calling but, realistically, he couldn't hold this against her. Not after what he had done to her. Not after he had left her behind on a damn rock somewhere in space. His best guess was the kid. Not that he was angry at her for having a kid. Ah, who was he trying to kid? Yes, he was angry. Jealous. The word crossed his mind, but he pushed it into the farthest corner of his brain. In this corner, there seemed to be a steadily growing box with the capital letters C-A-R-T-E-R written on it in big black marker.

After the funeral, he had pulled it out quite regularly, had tortured himself with what was in there; with all those things that had been shut away. Damn, there were not nearly enough rooms to keep it all in sometimes.

He'd have to pull himself together soon. This was an unknown planet and they didn't know anything about possible threats. He'd taken Teal'c and set off for a quick exploration of the vicinity. After all, he was more than likely trapped here. Jack had seen the engines on his way and he doubted that even Carter could fix them again. He couldn't afford to let his anger take over. The look on her face, no matter how well hidden, had still shown him that he'd hurt her with his words. He hadn't meant to break the news of Earth's impending doom this way, but the rush of emotions after nearly six years of crushing guilt had caught him off guard. Well, at least now it was sure that she still had an impact on him.

Sighing, he turned around towards their little ship. Like Teal'c had said, there were still many issues to be discussed.

"Let's see how the kids are doing, Teal'c."

When they reached the ship, they heard childish laughter coming out of the inside and Jack's stomach twisted painfully. He didn't want to go in there. As strange as it might seem, Jack O'Neill who'd face down a whole army with one hand tied behind his back was afraid to go in there. The variety of emotions she was able to evoke in him never seemed to cease or stop to amaze him.

...

_It rained that day. He stood in front of her house in the pouring rain, the cold water already soaking him to the bones. Still he stood there, unwilling to go inside. He didn't want to, but on the other hand he knew he had to. Of course, she had wanted it to stay in the room, but that wasn't something he could simply lock away. Well, he could, but they needed to talk._

The irony of those words was not lost on him, but he needed to talk. Just once, maybe to prove to himself that they were really okay with this, that they could go on like that.

"You gonna stand there all day?"

Her voice had caught him off guard. Obviously, he had taught her well. He hadn't even realized he was being watched. Shaking his head, he slowly started to walk towards the open door where she stood, towel in her hand.

"Thanks."

Grabbing the proffered towel, he quickly dried himself off as well as possible. At least he wouldn't drip on the floor.

"I knew you would come."

His eyebrows rose in Teal'c manner as he watched her smiling at him. Her fingers were playing with the hem of her shirt and he would've teased her about being nervous had the situation been different. Leading him into the kitchen, she leaned back at the counter, signaling for him to sit down.

"Coffee?"

"No, thanks."

He sat down on one of the stools at her kitchen counter, his eyes never leaving her, but always missing hers.

"You okay?"

They might not have been the best words to choose but he had no idea how to start.

"Yeah, I will be. It's been hard to differentiate between Jolinar's feelings and my own but, now that I have, it's easier. Martouf would understand."

At loss for a better response, he simply nodded. Her eyes were still a bit puffy and he knew she must have had cried but, then, she had just shot someone close to her, someone she might have loved. Given the circumstances, she was holding up pretty well. This fact gave him courage to go through with his plan.

"Carter... about today."

"I know, but for now it's best the way it is."

Once again his brows climbed as her words caught up with him.

"For now?"

"Yes. For now."

"Cool."

She smiled at him, their eyes connecting for the first time since his arrival.

"We okay?"

He couldn't help but grin inanely at her and she nodded, satisfied by his silent response. Pushing himself off the stool, he started towards the door.

"I really should go."

"Yeah, maybe you should."

When he left her home, the smile on his face didn't fade but grew every time that his mind repeated those words. 'For now.'

...

Four months after that, she had died, shot by his own hands. Four months had been enough time to give him a teaser in that damn time loop, but not nearly enough to make 'for now' unnecessary. Every chance to ever go beyond this was gone, had run through his hands like sand and all he could do was watch it slip through his fingers. Today, someone had suddenly placed a bowl under his fingers to save that last grain of sand from falling, only to dump it unceremoniously on the ground seconds after.

If it had been solely her, he would've been able to pretend that the last years hadn't happened. It would've been better for all of them if they'd just vanished into thin air. Maybe Cassie, the girl he'd learned to love as a daughter would still be alive. She had died only ten months after Carter and it had killed him. Somehow, she had freaked out, making things fly and everything. Neither Fraiser nor anyone else had been able to help her. For the second time he had watched one of his children die and there had been nothing he could do. This time, it had been worse than Charlie. This time he had to watch her slip away slowly, while the fever destroyed her from within. 

Ever since then he'd lived as the walking dead, a trance that had been shattered when she had lowered that flippin' hood. How many times today had he wished she'd never done that? It would've been so much easier if he had still been safe inside his little cell where nothing could reach him. Now, his cocoon was gone and the laughter of the little girl sounded in the air. Living proof of his guilt. If he hadn't left Carter behind, wounded from his own hands, maybe...

Straightening his shoulders, he climbed the ramp and stepped inside the ship. 

-----

"Why are you sad, Mommy?"

Sam smiled weakly at Daniel, as he excused himself, taking Shmela with him. Her eyes returned to the little girl. Just moments ago, Emily had been silly with Daniel, but clearly Sam had disturbed her too much to go on.

"Don't worry, honey. It's okay now."

"No, it's not. You're still sad."

The blue eyes were brimming with tears as Emily looked up at her and the ever-present guilt flashed through Sam once again. Her daughter was crying because of her. This girl had had to suffer so much already, too much, too young. She had dragged the girl over too many planets, too many situations. Sometimes Sam thought she was no better than her father had been, but at least she had been there for Emily each step of the way, never leaving her alone when it wasn't necessary. Of course, who gets to say what's 'necessary'?

"Don't cry, okay?"

Sniffing, the girl held her arms out and Sam picked her up, her hand rubbing circles on the little back. After a few minutes, she held her a bit away so that she could see her eyes.

"Thank you, Emily."

"You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you, sweetheart? You saved our lives by stopping the ship. I couldn't be mad at you. Never."

Emily looked at her with a doubting expression that made Sam smile. Still, it was true. The girl had never given her any real reason to be mad at her. Soon the expression changed and Emily flashed her one of those wonderful smiles that Sam wished she'd see more often.

"Daniel's nice."

"Yeah, he is. I'm glad you like him."

"Can I go play with Shmela?"

"Sure."Sam paused, thinking that Shmela was probably pretty wrapped up in setting up camp. "If she wants to."

Before Sam could say anything else, the girl had already struggled herself free from her mother's grip and was out of the door. Sam's mood had lifted remarkably. It was probably the first time that she had seen her daughter trust someone apart from herself and Shmela.

Sitting back, her thoughts returned to more pressing matters now that she was sure that Emily was okay. The engines were completely blasted. No chance to repair them. She had been able to scan the planet but it had shown neither a Stargate nor any other structure that could be identified as a building. So they were stuck and she had no idea how long they'd be forced to stay. The Nicrea were certainly trying to hide from Cronus and his right hand Korfreane at one of their other hidden settlements. They couldn't count on them for help.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door and she looked up to find Daniel smiling back at her. She was surprised that the naquadah in her blood seemed to react to him. She hadn't noticed before as she hadn't seen him without Teal'c or Emily close by, but now, with only the two of them, she felt it as clearly as it could get and it disturbed her greatly.

"Hey Sam. You busy?"

"No it's all right, Daniel. Come in."

"So, what are the chances that we'll be able to get off this planet again?"

"You really want to know?"

He sat down on the chair across from her.

"That bad?"

"Yes. Worse even."

She watched him warily, the tingle she felt still made her uneasy. But then she knew that Teal'c would've noticed the naquadah as well and he seemed okay with it.

"Sam, about what Jack said."

"No, Daniel. You don't need to apologize for him."

"I didn't want to."

The words she had been about to speak caught in her throat as she watched Daniel in shock. He smiled at her again, but the smile seemed forced and sad. 

"I don't say I agree with everything he said, but he has a point there. I'm sure you had your reasons Sam, but we thought you were dead. Can you imagine what it did to us? I'm not just talking about SG-1 here. I'm talking about your father, your friends, about the SGC as a whole. We... we thought we'd lost you."

For the first time since their arrival it occurred to Sam that SG-1 was still a three-some. Of course she had known that her friends would grieve, but she had thought by now they would've learned to live with it.

"I had my reasons, the most important being Emily. You noticed that she's... different?"

He nodded and her voice rose as she went on.

"If I'd returned, what would've happened to her? She would've ended up as some guinea pig for the NID or anyone who wants to take a look at her brain. Can you honestly tell me that she'd be safe?"

The thought alone was too horrible to go on and she closed her eyes against the images that popped up in her head, pressing her hands to her head. Next to her, she felt the bed dip. As Daniel's arm around her shoulder, she realized how glad she was that they were finally here.

Just then another thought crossed her mind and she reached up to where Daniel's hand was slung around her, squeezing it slightly.

"When the Colonel said all this... what did he mean? He said: 'while her best friends die'. What did he mean?"

She could feel Daniel tensing up and she closed her eyes, fearing what she would hear.

"Things don't look too well for Earth. We're losing the battle, Sam. Many of our friends are gone."

Turning her head so that she could see his blue eyes, now misted with sorrow, she prompted "Who?" It was a whisper, but enough for him to hear.

"Ferretti," She closed her eyes again, pictures of the smiling man and their first encounter flashing before her eyes.

"Rya'c," Fastening her grip she nearly smashed Daniel's hand, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Abydos has been destroyed,"

"Oh God." Sam's voice caught in her throat as words failed her. A whole planet destroyed. Kasuf and the other Abydonians, gone. She hugged Daniel tightly, suddenly wishing she hadn't prompted him to speak. Still, there seemed to be something he was holding back.

"What else, Daniel? Who?"

Hesitation was written all over his face, but he finally broke the silence.

"Janet... and Cassie."

All breath was knocked out of her lungs. Janet? And Cassie? Their Cassie? The little girl she had clung to in that damn bunker nearly ten years ago?

"How?"

Her voice was weak as tears already started to swell inside of her.

"Janet was shot off world three years ago and Cassie... it was Niirti."

Relief flooded through Sam mingled with pain and anger. He must have been mistaken. Niirti had died during the attack that had provided Sam's escape from her prison so many years ago. Of that she was certain. She had seen her die, had felt the woman's blood spilling over her own hands.

"Obviously she did some experiments with the children on Hanka. She tried to find a Hak'taur there as well and, to reach her aim, she modified their genetic sequence. On Cassie's 16th birthday, she fell ill. She wanted to go back to Hanka and we allowed her to, but Niirti wasn't there to undo the damage and Janet wasn't able to help Cass. She died two weeks later."

All the hatred that had been buried inside, the hatred that had seen her through the days and weeks and months of torturous captivity, rose again and all she wanted was to hit something. Hard. Daniel simply pulled her close, disabling her movements.

Struggling to free herself, she hit Daniel, but still he held close. No matter how many punches she landed, he held her until the anger vanished, replaced by the sudden feeling of loss. For the second time that day, she cried. Cried until there were no more tears left to cry.

After sitting there for what seemed like ages, she heard the Colonel's voice outside and started to pull herself together.

"It's getting late. We all could do with something to eat and maybe some sleep." Yawning, as if to underline his point, Daniel got up to his feet and walked over to the door. Before he walked out, he turned around one last time.

"I'm glad we found you, Sam."

"I'm glad you're here, Daniel."

With that he left and she followed close behind in search of Emily. It was way past the girl's bedtime.

-----

Jack had decided to get up as early as possible. The strained silence that had reigned every time Carter and he had been in the same room had been enough. Even Daniel had glared at him most of the time as if Jack didn't know that he was behaving like an asshole. Carter had informed them that there was no way she could fix the engines and about what her scans had shown. No threat to them on the whole planet. What else could he have wished for? So he set off at dawn to explore the place.

He walked the way he had yesterday, over to the forest. Soon the ship was out of sight and he breathed in deeply. Scents of trees, wet grass and earth filled his nose and reminded him of Minnesota. The fresh morning air always helped to clear his thoughts and it was obvious that he needed time to think. He hadn't been able to get more out of Carter about how she came to be on P5X-702 but, then, he hadn't really tried as it would've involved actually talking to her.

About one mile into the woods, he saw something sparkle and soon the trees parted, revealing the wide expanse of a lake. Sandy shores lined the large lake and a small river trickled its crystal clear waters in on one side, continuing out the other. Settling down at the shore, Jack picked up one of his ration bars and ate it absently. There were just too many things going through his head to completely appreciate the beauty around him. They'd have to set up a camp. The last night had revealed that there wasn't nearly enough space for all of them on the ship, at least not for Carter and him. To secure their provisions, they'd have to set up traps and find out which fruits and berries were edible. For all they knew, they might never be able to leave the planet again; it was better to plan ahead than be sorry.

The sun rose and, with it, the temperatures. Gradually, Jack started to relax as the warmth flooded through him. Unzipping his vest, he shrugged it off and laid it down next to him. Even though Carter had said there weren't any dangerous animals on this planet, how could those scans really know what animals were dangerous or not, he felt better when he had his P-90 within reach. The movement made his muscles ache, reminding him of last night's exertion. They had buried the dead pilot as soon as the girl had been put to bed. Suddenly, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes and spun around to find Carter's daughter staring at him with curious eyes. On cue, the radio crackled and Daniel's worried voice told him that very girl had just vanished.

"Think I found her. I'll bring her back soon."

Relief was palpable in Daniel's voice and Jack laid the radio down again. The girl still leaned against one of the trees, her blue eyes so remarkably like Carters'.

"Come here. I won't bite. I promise."

A grin spread on her face as she tumbled over to Jack. He wondered how she could've managed the hike through the woods. She couldn't be more than four years old.

"Emily, right?"

She flashed him one of those wonderful Carter smiles and nodded furiously.

"Jack, right?"

Now it was his turn to laugh. Patting the ground next to him, she sat down and watched the water curiously her eyes holding the same sparkle that her mother's eyes used to hold when she had inspected some new doohickey.

"Is that a lake?"

Even her voice held the same curiosity that he had always loved in her mother and he smiled sadly.

"Yes, it is. You've never seen one?"

"No."

"Well then. Come on."

He got to his feet, picking the girl up in the process. Carter had said there was no threat on this planet and, as long as they stayed close to the shore, nothing could happen, right? Pulling off Emily's shoes and socks, he shoved her pants up over her knees and repeated the process for himself. Soon they were both standing in the water, the girl obviously delighted.

Charlie had been the same when Jack had taken him up to Minnesota for the first time. The thought of his son still sent a flash of pain through him and he had the suspicion that it always would.

"Don't be sad. Charlie wouldn't want you to be sad."

Immediately he was brought back into the present, his eyes fixed solely on the black-haired girl. How did she know what he'd been thinking? And why did her eyes suddenly hold such a depth? So far, he'd just thought she was pretty smart, how could she not with Carter as her mother, but he was getting the feeling that there was more to it than that.

"Mom always says I'm special."

She looked suddenly shy, standing there in the water, her little, wriggling toes disturbing the sand under her feet.

"You are. Now, let's see how far we can walk in."

Taking her by the hand, he led her a bit deeper into the water and she screamed in glee as a small fish fled, scared by their approaching feet.

-----

"Don't worry, Sam. I'm sure they'll be fine. Jack will make sure she's okay."

Sam was sitting in the grass outside the ship. Teal'c had been gone for some time now. He had said he wanted to search for food and water and Sam had sent Shmela to help him. She still wasn't sure what had happened two hours ago.

"Daniel, didn't you see that? One second she was there and the next she was gone!"

"You mean this never happened before?"

"No, Daniel. She just..."

Emily's abilities seemed to grow with her age and Sam wasn't happy about that. After all, the girl wasn't even five years old. She couldn't help but wonder when this would stop.

When she looked over to Daniel, she saw him mouthing 'Oh' and smiled at that.

"Right. Oh. I never thought this would be possible."

"Niirti?"

The barely concealed disgust in his voice made her look up in surprise. Once again she wondered what must have happened to them to make them so bitter. Steeling her mind, she came to a decision.

"Okay, I'll tell you and you'll tell me exactly why 'Earth is going to hell'."

"Deal."

"Well, then let's go inventory the supplies while I tell you."

Grinning at her, he pushed himself to his feet and she followed suit. Inside the small storage room of the ship were what little supplies they had and Sam started to count the boxes.

"Sam?" Daniel prompted and she nearly had to laugh at his tone. How much she had missed this.

"Well, Maarlin told me you questioned him about the Nicrea, right?"

He nodded, but she didn't really wait for an answer.

"He also told me he'd told you about the aims of the Nicrea to overthrow the Chief. What you don't know is that the treaty the Chief reached with the Goa'uld included the capture of his brother, Ilfreane. Ilfreane was the Chief's first son and heir of the throne. Ilfreane and I, we were prisoners in Niirti's fortress. Cronus had explicitly asked for a member of the royal family to be handed over because of one… quirk… that runs in the family."

"Psychic abilities?"

"Yeah. After Niirti had put him in her machine, his abilities were enhanced even more."

Silence reigned for some time and was only disturbed by the shuffling of boxes.

"That means Emily is the heir of the throne?"

A simple nod was all answer he needed to start an endless triad of questions.

"So, the Nicrea are fighting against Emily's uncle? And what is it that Shmela calls you? Lovarra?"

"You first, Daniel."

All those years of hiding made her feel uneasy, even when she was talking to Daniel.

"Let's just say we haven't made many friends lately. We now have the Goa'uld and the Replicators against us."

"I thought we'd destroyed the Replicators."

"They survived in the Asgard's galaxy. The Asgard led the Replicators to a planet on which they'd installed some time dilation device that would make time slow down in the vicinity of the planet, a trap if you will. Problem is the Replicators worked this out and reversed the effect. Now we've got to deal with human form Replicators who seem to be indestructible and who have made their interest in the Milky Way quite clear. We can't count on the Asgard's help as they're pretty busy just surviving as well. So far, the Replicators haven't reached our galaxy, but it's only a matter of time."

She took some time to digest all information, before she asked her next question.

"What about the Goa'uld?"

"You remember Apophis, right?"

For a moment, she had no idea where this was going and merely nodded.

"Well, he has become one of the most powerful system lords and his major target is Earth. One year ago, he led an attack on Earth. But unlike his typical attacks, this one came from the sky. Nearly a million died before we were able to stop him."

He stopped and she felt her heart clenching as pictures of her brother and his family popped in her head.

"Mark and his family are okay. I checked on them afterwards."

"Even though you thought I was dead?"

"I had to tell your father something if he stopped by for a visit."

Unable to resist the feelings of relief that flooded through her, she hugged Daniel in gratitude for looking out for her family when she couldn't. Finally, she picked the discussion up where Daniel had stopped.

"So, the people now know about the Stargate?"

"No. They know that there are aliens, but they are pretty happy that we defeated them and more money has been invested in the development of new defense techniques. It was thought best if they didn't know how easily the enemy could come to Earth via Stargate. It wasn't as if Apophis didn't try. He still has to recover from the loss we brought him, but our last information was that his fleet is now even larger than before.

"We tried hard to take him out. He's some sort of buffer between Cronus and Anubis. A couple of years ago, Anubis came back from God knows where and allied himself with Baal. Together they've become a mighty force. We think that, if we're able to eliminate Apophis, the other two will take themselves out. Apparently they've got some revenge thing going, I'm not sure what. So far we haven't had any luck. Apophis is still out there and with him a bunch of other Goa'uld who would all love to see us dead."

"Doesn't sound good."

He flashed her a sad smile as he counted the rations in the last box.

"It isn't. Like I said yesterday, we're losing the battle."

So, now she felt guilty and depressed.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I should have been there."

"Not your fault. I understand your decision. And it's not like you had it easy either."

A sudden commotion outside heralded the arrival of their friends just as they closed the last box.

-----

"Jack! I can walk. Let me down!"

Jack was holding the kid in a firm grip, slung over his shoulder. After their little walk in the lake, Emily had been far too tired to walk all the way back and he'd carried her most of the way. Now, she struggled to get free again while clutching his over-sized sunglasses firmly over her eyes.

"Nope. Won't happen, young lady."

She struggled frantically, but he held her fast. They both were laughing hard as Jack's eyes fell on Daniel and Carter leaving the ship. Carter's eyes grew wide as she saw them and he swore he heard her gasp slightly. 

"Jack. Let me down or I tell Mommy."

He laughed even harder when he held the girl away a bit.

"Now we can't risk that, can we?"

Setting her down on the ground, Emily ran over to Carter the minute she touched the ground.

"Mommy, I saw a lake. And Jack and I walked in the water. A real _lake_, Mommy."

The smile that graced her mother's lips was genuine and Jack realized he had missed this smile terribly. Emily was still babbling about the lake and the fish. When she had finished, she looked at each and every one of them with wide eyes.

"Emily, why don't you go with Daniel and see whether you can find something nice to eat? And stay with him!" she added as an afterthought.

Jack's eyes shot up and met Carter's, pleading with him not to say anything. She wanted to talk. Daniel, always the helpful friend, took Emily inside the ship, leaving him and Carter alone.

"Sir, we need to talk."

"Geez, Carter, I knew you'd say that."

A smile tugged her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Go for a walk?"

Somehow it seemed like he was walking an awful lot lately. The sun was already past its highest point and started to descend again. Even so, the temperatures had gotten nearly unbearable. Shrugging his vest and jacket off, he threw both inside. Good thing that he had shared some ration bars with Emily a bit earlier otherwise he might already be starving.

"Okay. Let's go."

They took off across the plain, an area he hadn't explored yet.

"We're stuck here."

"I know that. I listened to what you said."This time, the smile reached her eyes.

"Just checking. It could be a while until someone finds us. We better sort this," she gestured between him and her, "out soon."

"Yeah."

They reached a little hill, not really big enough to earn that title, but still high enough to get a nice vista over the plain, the ship, and the forest. Behind them, they could see the sparkling sea in the distance and Carter stopped, lowering herself to the grass.

"Thank you."

"For what? Being an asshole?"

He knew he'd behaved like a damn SOB yesterday. It wasn't her fault that he still suffered from her loss. After he had met Emily, he was quite sure he understood her mother's reasons for not coming back to Earth, for not contacting them.

"For bringing Emily back. For making her laugh."

"Oh, that. No problem. She's a great kid."

"Yes. She's special."

"I noticed that."

Sitting down beside her he pulled his cap off his head and ran one hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words.

"I'm sorry. I was a bastard."

At first, she didn't respond.

"Carter, I…"

The look in her eyes was enough to silence him, shuttered eyes that couldn't fully hide the exhaustion of constant running, fighting, agonizing memories.

"I was terrified for Emily. Every time I tried… every scenario I came up with… If I came back, even if I sent a message via a third party, I couldn't be sure that someone wouldn't trace it, that Emily would be safe. And she _has_ to be my priority now. I can't apologize for that, sir."

So, his suspicions were confirmed. She had been afraid for Emily's well being. Sure, the NID would've gotten a blast out of experimenting with the girl.

"Hey, let's say we're equal. I shot you."

His half joke evoked at least a pale smile, but this was his way of dealing with tough topics and situations. He was Jack O'Neill. He couldn't do serious. At least most of the time. Pulling all his strength together, he asked a rather serious question.

"So, we're okay?"

"We're okay."Breathing seemed suddenly so much easier than it had been for a long time. He knew he had carried the burden of having killed her far too long and all the relief he should have felt yesterday upon seeing her suddenly rushed through him. Even so, he wouldn't and couldn't forgive himself for leaving her behind. They sat a while in silence until he saw Teal'c returning to the ship.

"Come on, Carter. Let's see what Teal'c has for us."

As they walked towards their new home, he felt as if the proverbial heavy weight had been lifted off him. They were okay again. Of course, they still had a lot of things to sort out. Six years were a long time during which a person could change. He had seen it in her eyes yesterday before she had stormed out of the ship. There had been a darkness he had never seen before. What had happened to dim the bright glow in her eyes?

Well, it seemed there would be plenty of time for him to find out.

"Carter, this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship… again."

She grinned and he knew they had just done their first steps to regain what they had lost.

**

TBC

**

A/N: Good? Crap? Feed me? 


	3. Chapter 3

**

Chapter 4

**

They spent the rest of the day planning their next steps and building a first, rather minimalist, camp. They had agreed to use the ship as part of the camp. It really didn't make sense to leave it behind; if the Goa'uld were still searching for them, they would scan the planet and find them regardless. Nonetheless, Sam had agreed with the Colonel that it wouldn't hurt to tarnish the ship. Unfortunately, the Goa'uld were also the reason why they couldn't send an S.O.S. The signal would've been their best chance to be saved, but it would also catch the attention of their enemy. So, for at least one month, no signal would be established. 

She hadn't missed Teal'c's raised eyebrow and Daniel's questioning eyes upon their return. The Colonel's face when he had asked whether they were all right had shown her how big the burden on his shoulders had been. Her anger at him had blinded her to what it must have been like for him. She couldn't imagine having to live with the thought that she had killed him.

"Mommy?"

Looking down at her daughter, she smiled at the worried face then tucked the small girl more closely into the blanket.

"You have to promise me never to do something like that again. You scared me when you vanished."

"But I wasn't alone. Jack was with me. Do you know he had a son? His name was Charlie and he liked water. Jack taught him to swim and he promised to show me when you say yes. Can I, Mommy?"

"Let's talk about that tomorrow. Promise not to vanish?"

"I promise. But I can go with Jack to the lake again, right?"

"Okay, okay. But now you need to sleep. Good night."

Kissing her daughter on her forehead, she tucked the girl in once again before she stood up to go outside. The guys had left one of the rooms on the ship for Sam and Emily, the other for Shmela.

Unfortunately, their ship was only constructed for rather short flights with small crews. Though the community room held enough seats for five, there were only four other rooms, two of them small sleeping quarters, one the really tiny bath, and the other was a storage room. They had stuffed the boxes from the storage room into the now useless cockpit to clear the space for the guys' night quarters. Even so, at the moment they were still outside, sitting around the fireplace. 

"Night, Mommy."

Leaving a small light on, she left her daughter and walked over to the community room."Lovarra?"

Sam hadn't noticed the other woman in the darkness that was surrounding her. The typical dark Nicrea clothing and the black hair had certainly helped Shmela blend perfectly with the darkness that reigned in the ship. They had agreed to save what little power they had left, the only exception being the night light for Emily, but even that was only for tonight. Tomorrow, they would have to find something else.

-----

Though Daniel Jackson had filled him in on everything that had happened after he had gone in search of food and water, Teal'c was still positively surprised by the change that had taken place when his two teammates returned. After their last night, he had felt the urgent need to bang their heads together, but had refrained from doing so. Treating injuries would be difficult here.

Both of them were strong warriors, both stubborn, and he had believed it would need a miracle to make them work together again. Well, maybe it had been a miracle. From what he had heard, Emily had vanished right in front of their eyes. Even within her kind, this seemed to be an unlikely event, as his friend had so clearly pointed out. No matter what had caused this sudden cooperation, things seemed to be returning to normal, or as normal as they could be after six years.

Across from him, he heard O'Neill make some joke about Daniel Jackson not finding a woman on this planet and Teal'c smirked inwardly. It seemed that the man he had known so long ago had returned, at least in parts. Feeling the need to perform kel'no'reem, Teal'c excused himself and walked up the ramp of the ship. When he walked past the community room he heard whispers that immediately caught his attention.

"How do you know we can trust them?"

It was Shmela's voice. Even though Teal'c had spent most of the day with her, they had hardly spoken a word. Still, he recognized her voice. Something about the woman disturbed him. There was something in her eyes that showed him she was used to cruelty and he did not like what he saw when she looked at him or his friends. Every time he had turned around in the woods and in the camp, he had found her watchful eyes on him.

"Shmela, they were my team, my family for four years."

The voice of Samantha Carter.

"You can't trust them, Lovarra. You said it yourself. They left you with the dead. How do you know that this isn't some plan Cronus came up with? They could be spies. This Daniel is acting too friendly, this Jaffa is just strange, and this O'Neill person..."

"Don't do this, Shmela. You will like them once you get to know them. Believe me, they hate the Goa'uld just as much as we do. If we can ever get off this planet, they might be willing to support our rebellion."

He was not sure whether he should stay and overhear this conversation, but in the end the need for information won over his morals. What was this rebellion they were talking about? He had thought the Nicrea were fighting only against the Chief, not against the Goa'uld in general. 

"I don't know who you are anymore. Since they arrived, you've changed. First you want them to take Emily with them and now you are willing to risk the whole rebellion by trusting them. Emily is my daughter as much as she is yours and I'm afraid for her."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Lovarra. I don't trust them. I won't risk the life of my queen at their hands."

The word 'queen' disturbed Teal'c greatly, too many bad memories were connected to that. He remembered Daniel Jackson telling them that Emily's father had been the future chief of Kasmuu, but it had never occurred to him that Samantha Carter would want to stay on this planet as a queen.

"Don't call me that, Shmela. You know I will never be your queen."

"But you are the Nicrea leader. You are too important to lose. We would still be hiding in the woods just outside of Korfreane's reach if it wasn't for you."

He heard Major Carter sigh, then her voice was low and dangerous as she spoke again.

"Then trust your leader. I won't risk the Nicrea or our rebellion and I definitely won't risk Emily."

Steps approached his position and Teal'c hid in the shadows. He had no idea what to make of this conversation. He was now pretty sure that this rebellion they were talking about seemed to be the Nicrea, but, so far, he had not realized the role his former teammate played within them. He had believed she had sought shelter with them, hiding her daughter and the child's abilities.

After Samantha Carter had left and Shmela retreated into her room, he walked towards the storage room. Maybe meditation would help him see clearer and, when O'Neill and Daniel Jackson came in, he would discuss this topic with them. If this rebellion they were speaking of was really fighting against the Goa'uld, they might be useful allies in their fight.

About an hour later, he heard his teammates enter the room and spread out their sleeping bags.

"O'Neill? Daniel Jackson?"

"Yeah, we're here T. Why are you whispering?"

"I need to discuss a conversation I overheard between Major Carter and Shmela."

"Ah, eavesdropping again? That's not nice."

O'Neill seemed to be in a better mood than Teal'c could remember seeing him in for a very long time. He chose his next words to deliberately get his attention and not raise the other inhabitants of the ship because of his friend's loud voice.

"Did you know that Major Carter was the leader of a rebellion that was fighting against the Goa'uld?"

"Come again?"

If Teal'c hadn't been so in control of himself, he would have sighed. This was going to be a long talk. At least this time, O'Neill had lowered his voice remarkably.

-----

The next days went by with getting themselves some sort of sanitary facilities, setting traps up and finding out which plants were edible. To save as much energy as possible, they had agreed not to use the bath on the ship and to cook outside over the fire. The small microwave like machine in the ship wouldn't have been able to cope with weird-rat-looking animal a lá Jackson anyway.

Still, Sam wasn't able to completely let her guards down. She had fallen into an easy rhythm with the guys and sometimes she was nearly able to forget that they had been separated for six long years. Even so, the discussion with Shmela had disturbed her. Shmela was as dedicated to their goal as any other person within the Nicrea and this was what made Sam wary. Even though she had only vague ideas of what had happened during her absence, she trusted the guys whereas Shmela saw them as a threat. Of course, Sam knew Shmela's reasons to mistrust them, and especially Teal'c, but it still made Sam uncomfortable. 

...

_Commotion outside rose her from sleep and Sam watched Shmela expectantly._

"We're moving."

The words connected in Sam's brain rather slowly until she realized what that meant.

"You mean I will be allowed to go?"

They had held her prisoner for three months, her pregnancy now showing quite clearly. Still, she had no idea what these people wanted. They had demanded she show them how to use the Stargate but she had refused. She had finally given in when they had started threatening her daughter. Sure, without the right equipment she couldn't be sure of the gender, but somehow she felt that it was a girl.

Shmela smiled at her encouragingly and Sam's hopes rose in response. She had been promised that she'd be allowed to return once the rebels had left the planet and she wouldn't be able to lead the chief's troops to them. The flap of the tent was tossed open and Cralen, the rebels' leader, stepped inside, his firm gaze on her. His look made Sam's skin crawl, but she stubbornly held his gray eyes.

"Shmela, take her outside. Bring her to the Ring."

"You can't mean that? You promised me that I could go!"

Cralen didn't say anything, he just left. Shmela's smile had vanished, her eyes now sad, but hidden under the long strands of black hair.

"I'm sorry, Samantha. I don't know why he broke his promise, but I'm sure he has his reasons."

"His reasons to hell. I need to see the chief."

Suddenly Shmela's gray eyes turned serious and Sam realized just what she had said.

"Why do you want to see him? The chief is a terrible man. He enslaved my people and worships the false gods who slaughtered most of my family."

"I can't believe that, Shmela. Everything I ever heard about him was that he was a nice and gentle man."

A picture popped up in Sam's head, a man, a Jaffa, standing on a dais. Everywhere was fire and smoke, but the Jaffa stayed calm. There were four persons, one of them only a child, a little girl who Sam guessed was about 8 years old, kneeling in front of the Jaffa while he smiled cruelly at them. He nodded and they were shot. In her head, she heard a loud cry ripping through the silence and then felt herself being dragged away from the scene. Brushing the picture away, she wondered where that had come from.

"The last chief was a good man but his son is worse than the Goa'uld."

It was the first time that Shmela talked about this and Sam took every piece of information she could get eagerly.

"About that, this planet was attacked by the Goa'uld some time ago. How did you defeat them?"

"We didn't. They left after they had killed the chief and his son. The chief's other son, the present chief, had made a treaty with Cronus."

Another picture shot through her head. There were people working in a mine, their clothes just as torn as their bodies. The vision vanished as rapid movement in her womb brought her back to the present.

Covering the bulge with her hands, she leaned back slightly nauseous.

"Samantha, are you okay?"

Once again the picture of the four people dying. Shaking her head against the visions, she stumbled back and sat down on one of the beds.

"Samantha?"

"It's okay. It's just... It's nothing."

Ilfreane had told her about the special abilities of the chief's descendants. That had to be it. She saw Shmela's thoughts. New anger at the Goa'uld flared through her as she saw once again those people die right before her eyes. 

...

Sam sighed as she watched Shmela across the fireplace. The other woman had hardly let her out of sight and Sam couldn't get rid of the feeling that this would cause them further troubles if they didn't solve this mistrust soon.

-----

At the end of their third week, they had established an easy routine. Each morning, Daniel and Carter went to get water for the day, while Shmela stayed with Emily and Teal'c and Jack checked the traps. Their meals consisted of smaller animals they had been able to catch and the occasional fish Jack caught. Berries and roots supplied a sufficient source of vitamins and he found he liked this life. It reminded him of the peaceful days at his cabin. He hadn't been there for five years, the magic of the place had seemed hollow and artificial after they lost Carter. Even so, he had been able to regain this part of him that liked being out in nature and that he had thought lost. 

Occasionally he thought of Earth and how the fight might be going. It usually made him sad and, as he had soon found out, Emily as well so he tried to avoid this train of thoughts. The girl seemed to like him; she often accompanied him on his trips to the lake, even though he had to carry her most of the way. Today, they were planning on a little swimming and camping at the lake. Emily had been so excited since they had planned their trip. Though they had asked the others to join them, they had all declined the offer. The girl had been a little worried when it had rained yesterday but, today, it was as warm as it had ever been since their arrival.

"Can we go now?"

Emily stood in front of him, her blue eyes wide and her black hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had wrapped a small bundle under her arm which she would soon discard on Jack.

"Sure. You told your Mom we'll go?"

"In fact, I was planning on coming along, if that's okay with you."

Carter appeared behind her daughter and Jack smiled at her. Maybe this would give him the opportunity to talk to her about this whole 'leader-Nicrea-rebellion' thingy she had going without the watchful eyes of her bulldog.

"As long as I don't have to carry you."

The mock glare he received made him feel lightheaded and they started off towards the lake. Most of the walk was spend with chat about the daily routines at the camp. Ever since their little talk the day after the crash, they had started to regain the casual atmosphere that had reigned once upon a time. She hardly called him 'Sir' anymore, but used the occasional 'Jack'. It gave him a thrill every time she called him by his name, showing him that they were rebuilding the trust between them.

When they reached the lake, the sun had already reached its midday climax and he pulled his cap deeper onto Emily's little head before she ran off to play on the sandy shores of the lake. Spreading out a blanket, he sat down on the ground, Carter soon joining him. Their eyes hardly left the girl as it was playing in the shallow water.

After sitting there for some time in comfortable silence, he felt it was time to breech the topic that had been gnawing at him ever since that nightly talk with Teal'c.

"I hope the others will be okay."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll manage one day without us."

The mirth in her words was hardly hidden and he couldn't help but to answer with a grin of his own.

"I know the boys will be okay, but what about your friend?"

"Don't worry. She can handle herself."

That confirmed his suspicions. He had seen it in Shmela's eyes. She was as much of a warrior as any one of them.

"She doesn't like us."

"She does. She's just... careful."

"Maybe she's just worried about the health of the rebellion's leader."

Her eyes darted to him and watched him carefully until her lips tugged up in a smile.

"How long did you know?"

"A while. Carter... Sam, I perfectly understand if you don't trust us, but."

"No, Jack. I trust you. I don't blame you for what happened. Not anymore at least. It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have approached you without warning. I wasn't thinking – except about the Jaffa on the other side."

He closed his eyes against the images that her words created. Each detail had been burned into his brain and would be there forever.

"Then why didn't you tell us?" His voice was low and, as he opened his eyes, he saw that hers were again fixed on her daughter.

"It's still hard to remember."

The pain that was now visible in her eyes was nearly too much to bear and he understood. She wasn't talking about being their leader. She was talking about the whole story, about what had happened at Niirti's. He knew what it was like to go through hell; heck, he'd been there a couple of times. The hollow look in her eyes matched his when he'd come back from Iraq. If it was too difficult for her to talk about it, he could understand. He wouldn't have told anyone either.

"I didn't choose to become their leader." She hesitated. "Daniel told you about Emily's father, right? We were imprisoned together in Niirti's fortress."

Her voice faded off and her gaze seemed to turn inwards as if seeing the past again, though he knew she still noticed Emily's every move at the shore.

-----

It was hard to go on, but she knew that he deserved to hear what she was about to say. He deserved an explanation probably more than anyone.

...

_"Because I didn't want him to die. I would've died happily if I'd know he was alive."_

"Carter."

His warning voice while his eyes scanned the display and then returned to her.

"You have to tell me everything, Major Carter."

God, how she hated this damn Barbie Tok'ra.

"Why did you want him to leave?"

Her eyes were fixed on him, standing behind the Za'tarc device as she mirrored his words only minutes ago.

"Because I care about him. More than I'm supposed to."

...

He deserved to know the truth.

"We were tortured. I don't think it was intended as such, but it was a nice side effect. Having your DNA meddled with doesn't feel too great. It was easier in the beginning, when I still hoped you'd come for me."

She felt him stiffen next to her, but continued regardless.

"But as time passed, I realized you wouldn't come. I knew you'd thought I was dead. The sessions in Niirti's machine grew harder to bear each time. I thought I'd die there."

...

_Pain. Overwhelming pain. She didn't feel anything but pain and a tear fell from her face as she had to give Niirti the satisfaction of a scream. If she could've ended it all right here, she would've done. Her whole body ached, even her hair, and it screamed in protest as she was tossed into the cell._

"Sam, are you well?"

Ilfreane was next to her, cradling her head in his lap. Even his feather-light touch hurt and she screamed as his hand settled on her forehead.

"I can't go back there."

The worry in his eyes was pushed away and Sam saw realization dawn.

"No, Sam. I can't."

He gently laid her head down on the floor and backed away from her. She squeezed her eyes shut as a new wave of pain was initiated by the motion.

"Ilfeane?"

"No, Sam. You can't ask that of me. Everything, but not that."

...

"Emily's father helped me through it. He gave me hope that we'd be able to escape. Then, one day, there was an attack. Some system lord had enough of Niirti and came with his mothership.

"We were able to escape during the attack. On our way outside, we came across Niirti. She tried to escape and I stopped her before I even realized what I was doing. Niirti died by my own hands. Ilfreane and I were able to make it to the Gate before we were attacked. I don't know whose Jaffa they were and it doesn't really matter. Ilfreane was badly wounded. Before he died, he made me promise to raise our child to be a good chief and bring justice to his people. By then we didn't know anything of what had happened on Kasmuu. When I came through the Gate, three months pregnant, I was taken prisoner by the Nicrea."

At that, she felt Jack shuffle next to her and she took another breath before she continued.

"I thought they wanted me to show them the use of the Stargate, but they took me with them. Turns out their leader thought I was easy on the eyes and he was looking for some company but I turned him down. I stayed with the Nicrea until Emily was born. By then, I had realized who they were fighting against and I knew I had to support them. Until Emily was two years old, I fought amongst them. Until then, only Shmela was aware of who Emily was. We were afraid of Kofreane's spies. There were far too many in those days. But, when Emily was two, she made her teddy fly. It didn't take the others long to figure out that there was royal blood running through her veins. Despite my protest, I was made their leader. 

"So, I stayed and fought against Cronus and his pal Korfreane. Even so, Cronus was able to gain more and more territory. By now, the Nicrea are a rebellion consisting of humans from at least ten different planets, each of them taken over by Cronus. I was hoping you'd be able to help us, but it sounds like Earth has got more than enough problems on its own."

She turned around, silent for a moment as her eyes searched Jack's.

"I couldn't leave."

He held her gaze for some time until his eyes returned to Emily.

"I understand."

There was nothing more to tell him and she turned to watch her daughter play happily in the sand. Fortunately the girl didn't seem to have noticed her distress. She felt as if she had been freed from emotional prison and she was glad she had told him.

"I... I shouldn't have left you."

His voice was so low, nearly a whisper, and she thought that she was, for the first time, really seeing what her 'death' had done to him. Scooting a bit closer to him, she touched his arm and squeezed it slightly.

"It wasn't your fault."

He sat unbelievably still until he nodded slowly, but she could see that he didn't really mean it. Jack O'Neill sure didn't come across as vulnerable but, in this moment, he looked like a simple breeze could destroy him. Her hand still on his arm, she leaned her head against his shoulder and he allowed it.

For quite a while they sat in silence, watching the wavelets hit the sand as Emily shrieked in delight. Gathering courage, she asked the one question she had been too afraid to ask.

"Jack, why does Daniel have naquadah in his blood?"

She could feel him tense and knew she had been right not to ask Daniel directly. This was bad. He covered her hand on his arm with one of his own.

"He got snaked." Jack shook his head. "He got infected with some ancient disease and Janet couldn't fix it. The Tok'ra offered him a chance. He didn't want to. I talked him into it."

Jack stopped speaking for some minutes and she thought it was over when he began again.

"This snake, Kanan, took him over and dragged him off to some planet where it wanted to save some girl it loved. Damn snake ditched him when Daniel was captured by Baal. Don't know whether you've come across him. Nice guy. Tortures for a hobby – daggers, acid, play with prisoners till they die and then recycle them in the sarcophagus. "

Sam's hand tightened her grip on his arm and she couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if she'd still been there, if she could have changed things.

"Danny doesn't talk about it so we don't."

She nodded understanding and turned her hand on his arm so that she could hold onto his hand. What if she had been there? Maybe she could've spared Daniel from this. 

They sat like that for about half an hour until Emily came up to them, demanding that someone show her how to swim right now.

-----

The sun had set some minutes ago and the sky was starting to darken at the horizon where Teal'c knew the ocean was. Daniel Jackson had started to roast a bunig, a weird mixture of a rabbit and a pig, for them and the fire over which the meal was prepared was burning bright. Silence fell over the planet, as it typically did when night approached. There seemed to be only few nocturnal animals here and the birds' songs died down with the setting of the sun.

"It's so calm here. It reminds me of Abydos."

Raising an eyebrow to express his doubts, Teal'c turned to watch his friend quizzically.

"I cannot see any resemblance between this place and Abydos."

"I don't mean the surroundings, Teal'c. I mean the serenity. The peacefulness of this place. On Earth you hardly find a place where you can't hear the sounds of cars or planes. You know, on Abydos there was this mountain range, about a day from the village where Sha're and I often went to. We used to watch the sunset from there. This place here reminds me of that."

"You miss her."

It was no question, but was answered nonetheless.

"Yes. Everyday. Though it gets easier as time passes. It doesn't hurt to think about her anymore. Do you miss Drey'auc?"

"I do."

Silence fell again as Daniel Jackson turned the bunig. They watched the fire while darkness started to fall over the plains. A movement at the ship made him look up and he saw Shmela approach them. The woman had kept to herself since the rest of their group had left. Sitting down across the fire, she regarded the bunig with a doubting look, before her gray eyes glared at them.

"Why did you come?"

She did not elaborate, but then she didn't have to. Both men were aware of what she was referring to. Startled by her direct question, Daniel Jackson was struck speechless for a second, an event Teal'c had seldom witnessed. So, he chose to answer the question that had been directed at both of them.

"We came to explore the planet on which you lived."

Shmela's eyes were now solely fixed on Teal'c, his answer making him the center of her attention.

"You mean to tell me you didn't know you'd find her, us there."

"We had no idea what we'd find there. Our MALP, the machine we sent first, showed no indication of life. We didn't even know Sam was still alive."

Daniel Jackson's answer made the woman turn around to face him. His friend started to squirm uneasily under Shmela's glare and Teal'c decided to help him.

"Samantha Carter is our friend. I can assure you we would never hurt her knowingly, if this is your concern."

"You hurt her when you left her, Jaffa."

Keeping his face firm, Teal'c hid how much those words had hurt him. Even though he seldom displayed emotion openly, he was not emotionless and, even though the disgust he had heard in the woman's voice did not disturb him, her words had opened a badly healed wound within him.

"She was dead. She had no pulse. O'Neill was injured and needed medical attention. I made the choice and take the blame for this. When I returned, her body was gone. I found her belongings within the ashes of the burned remnants of your people. You are a warrior. You should know what it means to be at war and decide between life and death. Had I tried to save O'Neill and Samantha Carter, we all would be dead."

He had seen the same wariness in Shmela's eyes that he had seen on thousands of warriors on hundreds of planets before. It did not take him long to see the connection. Teal'c's words had a visible impact on Shmela. Her eyes suddenly softened and glazed over as if she was recalling something.

"Shmela, we don't expect you to trust us. Just give us a chance."Daniel's reasonable tone took on a note of emotion as he continued, "I promise you, I… we… will do all we can to keep Sam and Emily safe. I lost her once; I don't want to lose her again."

Shmela's eyes darted to Daniel Jackson.

"I can see that you're speaking the truth. I'm sorry if my tone has been inappropriate."

The younger man relaxed visibly and Teal'c had to admit that he was feeling relieved. The watchful eyes of Shmela had followed them since their arrival on this planet and it would be far easier to deal with their exile if they trusted each other.

"Sam is lucky to have a friend like you. I'm glad she didn't have to be on her own during the last years."

Shmela now smiled at them and Teal'c tilted his head in acknowledgment of Daniel Jackson's words. The smell of burned meat reached his nose and Teal'c watched as his friend suddenly hurried towards the bunig.

"Charcoal anyone?"

-----

They had been on the planet for four months. Her daughter's birthday had passed and they had celebrated with what little they had. Sam didn't think she had ever seen her daughter so happy. The change was mostly due to Jack. Emily adored him and Jack seemed to enjoy it. Even though they all seemed contented, she couldn't imagine being stuck on this planet forever. But at the moment, it looked like that was inevitable.

Their S.O.S. signal had died down two weeks after its activation. Sam had expected the energy to last for at least one month but, obviously, she had been wrong. Their chances for a rescue had pretty much dropped to zero. By now, their only hope lay with the Nicrea, if the rebellion still existed.

Fortunately, after that day she and Jack had spent with Emily at the lake, things had changed remarkably. The tension was gone and they had become a close-knit group. She was relieved that the issues between Shmela and the guys had been resolved. In fact, Daniel and Shmela had grown much closer during the weeks and months of their exile.

"Sam, come in."

They had once again done a trip to the lake. This time, only Teal'c had stayed behind. Though the hope of rescue had grown slim, they weren't able to give up yet. If someone was searching for them, it was most likely that they would search for the ship; whenever they left the ship, someone had to stay behind to greet their rescuers should they ever arrive. Teal'c had volunteered.

"No, Daniel. I don't think so."

Daniel, Shmela, and Emily were splashing around in the cold water. Emily nowadays seemed to feel as safe as a fish in the water and her swimming skills lent credence to the feeling.

"Oh, Mom. This is fun. You should try it."

Sam laughed at just how much her daughter sounded like Jack. She was definitely spending too much time with him. Something Sam couldn't say for her part, though she wouldn't have complained if she had. Jack had changed during the last six years. He had grown even darker, more bitter, though he normally kept it under control. There were just a few moments, here and there, where it shone through but those were enough to show Sam what she had done to him.

Suddenly, she was scooped from her thoughts into the air. Jack's hands were holding her fast despite her earnest struggles to free herself.

"Jack. Let me down."

She should have thought about that command more thoroughly as Jack was already in the waist deep water and so was she, seconds after he'd followed her order.

When she came up for air again, Jack had already left and brought a safe distance between him and her. Well, she was okay with that. Revenge was a dish best served cold anyway.

"Mommy!"

With a shriek, Emily had thrown herself upon Sam and pushed her under water again. Her daughter was squealing loudly, but suddenly turned stiff, her blue eyes fixed on Jack. He was crouched at the shore, his hand holding one of their radios.

"Teal'c made contact to a ship in orbit."

Her daughter's voice was low and Sam wasn't sure whether she had heard what she thought to have heard. Not until Jack stood up and walked over to the water. She wasn't sure but she thought she saw a flicker of regret wash over his face as he walked towards them.

"Playtime is over, kids. Back to school. Teal'c made contact with a ship in orbit."

**

Chapter 5

**

When they left the woods, the first thing they saw was the massive ship sitting next to their own in the wide plain. Though its size was so different from their ship's, its design was surprisingly familiar.

"The Nicrea?"

"Maybe."

Jack's question had mirrored Daniel's train of thoughts. Still, Sam's answer hadn't really helped them.

"At least it doesn't look like Goa'uld."

Glares now reached Daniel from every direction and he shrugged self consciously.

"What?"

The others had already started in the direction of the ship and Daniel sped up to keep up with them. When he reached Jack who carried Emily, he shot his friend a questioning look. Instead of answering his question, Jack just looked at Emily.

"You tell him?"

Emily nodded and Daniel watched her confused.

"Geez, Daniel. Why do you always have to say things like that?"

Jack laughed and gave Emily a high five, but Daniel saw the tension beneath and understood. So he had a tendency to voice what other people feared. That was no crime, was it?

"You think too much, Danny."

Once again Emily's voice and Daniel sent her a mock glare.

"You're hanging around Jack way too much, young lady."

The girl giggled and Daniel's eyes returned to the ship and the now visible forms of two people at the fireplace.

When they came closer, he was able to make out Teal'c and another man with dark hair and deeply tanned skin. He was as tall as Teal'c and a pretty impressive figure. Just then, the man noticed them and Daniel saw his expression change to one of complete surprise, a look that was mirrored on the face of the two women next to Daniel.

"O'Neill, this is."

"Cralen."

Shmela had cut in, her eyes blazing furiously. They were met by a matching glare of the man's own pair of eyes, just as gray as those of his opponent.

"So, ahhh…you know each other?"

Jack was obviously just as stunned. Daniel felt Sam shuffle closer to Shmela as she watched the man warily.

"I wish I didn't. What do you want, Cralen?"

"Shmela, nice to see you again. Samantha, how is the rebellion going? Last thing I heard their leader was destroyed by Cronus."

"As you can see, I'm still alive. It's good to see you again, Cralen. That your ship?"

Sam's voice held not nearly as much hatred as Shmela's; in fact, Daniel believed he had heard sympathy, maybe even... was it pity?

"I'm glad the rumors were just lies. Yes, this is my ship. I'm a trader now and I couldn't help noticing a nice little 'abandoned' ship just sitting on an empty planet. Thought I would get a nice price for it. And, now, look what I've found."

Daniel was even more confused when Sam simply smiled at him and then turned around to face them.

"Cralen, these are old friends of mine. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c you've met. Guys, this is Cralen."

The man's eyes were now focused on Emily and Daniel felt his skin crawl at the look. There was something about him... Daniel couldn't put a finger on it, but something about the man was weird.

"I bet this is Emily. You've grown. The last time I saw you, you were two years old."

Emily fastened her grip around Jack and Daniel could see the small knuckles turning white.

"Ah, yeah. Why don't you sit down Cralen? Be our guest for the day. I guess we've got some things to discuss." Jack motioned for Cralen to sit down at the firepit, holding Emily a bit tighter.

Even so, he watched in surprise as Sam took Emily from Jack, handing her immediately over to Shmela with the order to bring the girl inside. It was getting late, but it wasn't really close to Emily's bedtime and Daniel didn't miss the deadly glare Shmela shot the man, who now sat at the fire across from Sam and Jack. Teal'c hovered a bit back, reserving judgment or maybe just as suspicious of the man as everyone else seemed to be.

He knew those three could deal with the stranger and, curious to find out what this guy was about, he followed Shmela inside. Through their time on the planet, he had found out he enjoyed her company. He loved her presence and her reaction to the man disturbed him greatly.

Daniel found her in Emily's room where the girl was painting at the easel Teal'c had made for her as a birthday present. Motioning for Shmela to come out into the community room, he saw her wary eyes roaming Emily one last time before she walked out.

"Emily is afraid. I shouldn't have allowed my feeling to be displayed so clearly."

Her voice sounded worried and Daniel reached out for her. He pulled her into a hug and Shmela welcomed it, wrapping her arms around him in response.

"It's not your fault. You know she would've felt it anyway."

"I know, it's just... I feel like I'm causing her pain."

Daniel rubbed her back softly. He knew the feeling only too well but there was nothing they could do about it except to try to keep in control. Unfortunately, humans didn't generally work like that.

"Shmela, who is this Cralen?"

Shmela shivered in his arms before answering. Her words were slow, as if it was costing her great effort to answer his question.

"He's my brother."

-----

Cralen had been the last person Sam had expected to come for her rescue. It wasn't exactly like they had parted on good terms. As she watched him over the fire, she could see the toll the last three years had taken on him. The Nicrea had been his life and they had turned their backs on him. She didn't like that fact but she had been powerless to prevent it.

...

_"Cralen, you've seen what this girl can do. How can you deny the royal blood in her veins?"_

Maarlin watched Cralen with wary eyes and Sam sighed deeply. She had hoped that it would never come to this. She had fought with the Nicrea as she had seen the chance to keep her promise. All she had ever wanted in her time with the Nicrea was to establish justice on Kasmuu and allow Emily to lead a safe life like she had promised Ilfreane.

"I don't deny her royal heritage. I'm just fighting for the free state we've been trying to establish. As long as Kasmuu is still ruled by a Chief, we can't hope to ever live freely."

"Cralen is right."

The man in question shot her a doubting look for her intervention.

"See? She's trying to defend Cralen. She has the grace and the strength of a queen."

Damn Maarlin. This was so not going the way she had planned it to. Why couldn't the man see that she didn't want this?

"No! I am not and will never be your queen."

Sam didn't miss the glare that Cralen shot in her direction. She wished he could see that they were both fighting for the same goal.

"Can't you see that she's trying to destroy everything we've ever done?"

"No, Cralen. She brought us our hope back. She will lead us to victory in this fight."

"You mean to tell me that you'd rather follow her than me?"

...

Cralen had left the next day. He had said he wouldn't stay to watch his own people enslave themselves under a new king. Sam had tried to talk to him, convince him to stay, and make it clear that she would never be the queen they all saw in her. She just hoped he wouldn't allow their past experience to cloud his judgment now.

"So, you need to get off this planet?"

She knew he was going to turn them down, if only as revenge.

"Yup, that sums it up pretty nicely."

"How 'bout we leave tomorrow?"

Sam couldn't believe her ears. Had Cralen just promised Jack he'd help them? This was simply impossible.

"Sounds good to me."Jack stood up. "Okay, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hitting the sack."

She smiled and motioned for him to go. She wanted to stay for a while, talk to Cralen. Teal'c still hovered in a far corner of their camp, close enough to notice trouble, but far enough away to provide privacy.

Jack left but she knew he wouldn't sleep until he'd heard her come in.

"Thank you, Cralen."

"You didn't think I'd leave you here, did you?"

The darkness that had fallen around them made it hard to see his face properly, but the mirth in his voice rang as clear as crystal.

"I had my doubts."

"Samantha, I'm sorry for everything that ever happened between us."

"Cralen, you had every right to be angry. I didn't want this to happen. I would've followed you. You were a good leader and I'm sure, if they'd only listened to you, they would've seen that."

She saw him stand up and walk over to her. Though she couldn't see it, she was sure Teal'c watched his move and she smiled reassuringly in Teal'c's direction when Cralen sat down next to her.

"After the Nicrea thought you were dead, they lost every fight. Samantha, they need you. I only want what's best for them and I've never wanted anything else. I'll be happy to help you."

She smiled and squeezed his hand slightly.

"Thank you, Cralen."

He simply nodded and squeezed her hand in return.

"So, those are 'the guys'? They seem nice."

"They are. You'd like them if you knew them better."

They watched the fire spark for a few minutes.

"Now, when are you going to ask what you really wanted to?"

"You know me far too well, Samantha."

Of course, they'd had a rough start but they had both grown to be friends. That was before the teddy incident.

"How is Shmela?"

"She's fine. She misses you."

"Didn't look like that from here."

"Cralen. You're her brother. Of course she misses you."

They sat together for a while, sharing memories and what had happened during the last years, before she went to bed as well. Upon entering the ship, she could feel his presence in the community room.

"You shouldn't have stayed up."

"Felt lonely. Danny seems to have found somewhere else to sleep."

It took some moments for her to understand what he meant and she smiled in the darkness.

"You gonna tell me?"

"Remember the leader of the Nicrea who tried to hit on me?"

She could hear the wheels turning in Jack's head.

"You mean?"

"Yup. That's him."

He was silent for a while and she could hear him stand up.

"Can we trust him?"

"He hates the Goa'uld just as much as we do."

"That's no answer."

His voice was now far closer and she nodded even though he couldn't see it.

"We can trust him."

She could feel him standing now directly in front of her and she unconsciously stepped a bit closer.

"So, we'll be leaving tomorrow."

His voice was now low, just as low as it had been the day at the lake.

"We will."

"And you'll be returning to the fight against Cronus and we'll be returning to Earth."

The hand on her cheek seemed to tremble and she leaned into his touch.

"Maybe. But we won't let them separate us again."

"No, we won't."

Her arms flew up around his neck as she clung to him. They had reached a mutual understanding that the subject of 'them' wasn't brought up. As long as they were stuck on this planet, 'them' wouldn't have had any consequences, but what would happen when they were rescued?

She couldn't leave the Nicrea, not until their fight was won, and he couldn't leave Earth behind. They were fighting in the same war, but on different fronts.

Even so, standing there, with his arms wrapped around her: warm, strong, alive. She knew she didn't want to let him go ever again. Somehow they would have to work it out.

-----

They had been on Cralen's ship for three day. Three long days to say goodbye to the things Jack had learned to love. He hadn't wanted to leave and had watched longingly as the green ball that had been their home for four months had shrunk to the size of a pearl and had then completely vanished. Though every cell in him had screamed at the sight, he had known that he had to go. They had all fights to return to, wars to be won.

Sam's voice from behind him caught Jack's attention and brought his thoughts back to the present.

"Shmela, talk to him."

Ever since their meeting with Cralen, Sam had been trying to convince Shmela to talk to her brother. As far as Jack understood the situation, the siblings had gotten into a fight after Shmela had supported Sam's leadership instead of her brother's. Still, Sam was talking frantically to the woman, trying to make her see reason. He heard Daniel chuckle behind him and sat down on a chair, accompanying his teammates.

They watched the banter between Sam and Shmela, amused, and Jack knew without a doubt that he'd miss it. The night of Cralen's arrival, they had reached some kind of silent agreement. No matter what, they'd try to hang on and fight. Fight for the chance of a future that had already been stolen once. 

When his eyes found Daniel's, he saw a matching look of regret and doubts in the younger man. Daniel didn't want to leave; as soon as they'd reached the Nicrea, SG-1 would return to Earth while Shmela would stay with Sam.

To lighten the heavy mood that had suddenly settled around them, Jack tried to turn their attention to the future. A future that would, assuming Cralen's computers worked properly, start in less than three hours.

"Hammond will kill me."

Daniel smiled sadly at Jack, while Teal'c merely twitched his eyebrow. It wasn't really worth the title 'raising' as it had hardly changed in height.

"If there's still an SGC to return to."

The thought wasn't new to him, but it was even more depressing once Daniel had spoken it out. What if Earth had already lost the war? Jack's eyes again wandered over to Sam and Shmela.

"So, Doctor Jackson. You once again managed to find a girl on an alien planet."

Daniel turned a wonderful shade of red and Jack watched him amused. The old joke never lost its touch.

"Well, this time, I'm not the only one."

To Jack's utter horror, he felt his own face turn bright red. He was an Air Force Colonel, for crying out loud. He was way too old to blush. All his inner protests didn't help the fact that he was, in fact, blushing. Daniel would have a field day with that.

This time, Teal'c eyebrow rose and, though Jack wasn't sure, he could have sworn he saw a smile graze the Jaffa's lips. Well, stranger things had certainly happened.

A scream from the adjoining room broke the mood and Sam was on her way immediately, soon followed by Jack and Shmela. When he entered the room, Sam was already sitting on a bed, her sobbing daughter shaking in her arms.

"Shhhhh, it's okay Emily. It's okay. Mommy is here. It was just a bad dream."

The little black-haired head shook vehemently as Emily pulled back from her mother. Jack could now see her eyes were wide with fear.

"You left me, Mom. You left me alone."

"It was just a dream, honey. I will never leave you!"

Behind him, Jack could feel Daniel and Teal'c leaving the room and, after some minutes, Shmela followed. The little girl had already calmed down a bit, but she refused to let go of her mother. In the end, Emily fell asleep in Sam's arms.

He was already on his way out when he heard Sam's whisper, carefully trying not to wake Emily.

"Stay."

She was now sitting with her back propped against the wall behind the head of the bed and patted the space next to her. He smiled at her and sat down, her head immediately leaning against his shoulder.

"That happens often?"

"Not since we crashed on the planet."

Well, Jack could empathize with that. His own dreams had been much calmer since that day.

"I don't want to lose this."

Sam's voice was so low that he nearly missed it.

"Me either."

"You'll come back, right?"

Jack would've laughed, had the question not sounded so desperate. He touched her chin gently and lifted it, so he could see her eyes.

"Nothing could stop me, Sam."

----

Soft footfalls echoed through the empty hallways. She knew he'd be on the bridge and she also knew she was running out of time. It wasn't like she wanted to do this. She still thought he was wrong even though the Lovarra had tried to make her see the truth in her brother's words. Still, she'd talk to him. The conversation she'd just overheard was enough to open her eyes. Until then, the thought had never crossed her mind that the Lovarra might be unhappy with them, might even perhaps want to leave them.

...

_"I don't want to lose this."_

"Me either."

"You'll come back, right?"

"Nothing could stop me, Sam."

...

He was sitting on his chair, looking out into the darkness of space.

"Cralen?"

Although he seemed perfectly still, she could see him tense up.

"Shmela."

His voice was cold and had she not been so determined, she would've turned around right now. Both as stubborn as a terral, their mother had always said. She had to admit her mother had been right.

"We can't go on like this, Cralen."

"It wasn't me who started it."

"Damn, I'm trying to apologize here, don't make this so hard for me."At that he turned around and met her look. She stood silently in the door for a long time. Then he sighed and motioned for her to sit down.

"I'm sorry, Shmela."

"We both have made mistakes."

"Stubborn as a terral, huh?"

Shmela laughed at that and her brother soon fell in. As the laughter died down, she turned around and watched the sparkling stars passing by outside the window.

"I came here to talk to you, Cralen. What are you going to do, once you brought us to Jimila."

She could feel his eyes on her, but didn't turn around.

"I don't know. I guess I go back to being a trader."

"Join us."

"What?"

Cralen's voice nearly doubled over as if she'd said something ridiculous even in thought.

"Join us. You've seen what happens when the Nicrea loses their leader. We can't count on the Lovarra being there for us always. I'm sure she'd appreciate your help. Please, Cralen, think about it."

Still his eyes were on her, but she could feel his doubts melt. Cralen knew better than anyone else what it had cost her to ask for help.

"I'll think about it."

"Thank you."

Kissing him on the cheek, she turned to leave the bridge.

"I've not said I'll do it."

"I know."

With that, she walked out. Her brother was going to join them.

-----

The moment the ship touched the ground they were surrounded by the Nicrea. She was swept away in a crowd of cheering people. Even so, no one dared to touch her; hardly anyone willing to meet her eyes. She was the Lovarra. Untouchable. Their queen. Everything was like it had been before and she already missed the closeness of the last four months.

Jimila was similar to their former home, the little huts blending in perfectly with the green canopy. Orden, who had taken over temporary command, seemed to have chosen well and Sam watched the camp curiously. They were shown to the quarters and Sam sat down heavily on a chair. It would be even harder to deal with this now, after those months on their planet.

She knew their fight was important and she loved each and every one of her friends here. Still, sometimes she just missed being Sam Carter and not the Lovarra.

"Our code will have been deleted. We need to send a message through to the SGC to let them know who's calling."

Jack's voice shook her out of her daydreaming and she saw him pacing the room, already back in Colonel mode.

"So what? We send a message through and go back. Jack, you can't be serious. What about Sam?"

"I can take care of myself, Daniel. My place is still here like it has been for nearly six years… at least until we've defeated Cronus. And your place is on Earth."

He looked at her like a deer caught in the headlight and she could already see the beginning of a response forming in his brain. She simply cut it short, now turning to Jack.

"I'll go talk to Orden to find out what happened while I was gone."

"Okay. Teal'c, Danny, and I will try to get Hammond on the phone."

They left Emily with Shmela. Cralen had made an escape as soon as possible and Sam found she was going to miss him. Having him around had reminded her of the time before. Before she had become the Lovarra and had had to carry the leadership alone. Once upon a time, they had been friends. And, once upon a time, she had been his right hand. Important, but not the center of attention. Sure, she loved the responsibility, but it had kept her from her daughter. This was one of the reasons why she had demanded the council that Cralen had called into life stay after she took command of the Nicrea. Even so, only few council members had the guts to stand up against her and it made decisions even harder to know they would follow her blindly into death. 

Orden and some council members were leaning over maps when she arrived at the council hall. It didn't take her long to see what he was worried about.

"So, Cronus has been able to expand his territory?"

"He has, Lovarra. We have fought against him, but lost. 48 men and women are no longer amongst us."

She closed her eyes against the all too familiar emotion. 48 good people who had trusted her were now dead.

Breathing in deeply, she opened her eyes and scanned the map quickly, her brain soon supplying the needed information.

"He has gained an awful lot of strength."

"Not only strength but also new troops whose origin we cannot determine, Lovarra."

This didn't look good. They could hardly risk open fights anymore with Cronus gaining more and more power. She knew they would have to change tactics. Listening to the explanations of the council members, she filed every piece of information carefully away. It seemed like an eternity until she was finally up to date on the last four months.

Leaving the hut, her head spinning with strategies, she made her way back to her own hut. She had just entered the small path when she heard hurried steps behind her and, sure enough, the guys soon followed.

"Hammond is going to send a MALP to get a video signal and, once we're cleared, we're allowed to return. The iris is going to be open."

"The MALP is due in one hour." Daniel supplied helpfully, filling her in on what Jack had left out. Said man had now fallen in step next to her and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw his face harden. His eyes were fixed on the ground and she knew exactly why. This was it. They'd all be gone soon.

"Let's go say good-bye to Emily."

The look on Daniel's face suddenly held such an overwhelming sadness and she knew it wasn't only because of Emily, but also because of Shmela. Forcing a smile on her face, they all started off towards the quarters.

-----

Teal'c watched her slip out of the door while O'Neill tried to explain to the child that they would leave soon. He was not sure, but he thought he saw Samantha Carter's eyes glisten and it disturbed him greatly. As silently as possible, he went after her just as the little girl flung herself at O'Neill begging him to stay.

He found Samantha Carter behind the hut that was her quarters. Though both of them seemed to have kept some sort of distance during the last months, or at least Teal'c knew he had, she had always been a friend. A friend whose life he had played with. He did not think she would welcome his spying on her, but he was determined not to let her down ever again. Right now, she seemed to be upset and from what he had just witnessed inside, Teal'c could only too well imagine what this was about. When she noticed him, she quickly brushed away some tears, but he noticed them none the less.

"You seem to be distressed."

"I'm fine, Teal'c. Thanks."

Sitting down on a log next to her, he stared unseeing into the woods. He knew she was lying, but he had no idea if it was for her own or his benefit. In the end, he settled for the most important thing to say. He never said much, but he knew there were some things, he should have said earlier.

"You will be greatly missed."

His words undid her again and a new wave of tears burst out in the open. It was a character trait he had so seldom witnessed in Major Carter that it was even more disturbing in her as Samantha Carter. Fortunately it did not take her long to regain her control back.

"I've never asked you, maybe I've been afraid of the answer, but now I want to know. I can't let you leave without knowing. Are you mad at me, Teal'c? Mad because I didn't come back?"

The question startled him. He had never expected her to ask such a thing of him and he could not understand why she did now.

"I am not."

"Stop it, will you? Why don't you talk to me like we used to?"

"If that is what you wish for."

"Damn it, Teal'c."

She had jumped to her feet, now looking at him with something close to anger blazing in her eyes. At least, she did not cry any longer. Teal'c would have had no idea how to deal with that. His eyes met hers for the first time since their reunion and her voice was barely a whisper when she continued.

"That's exactly what I wish for."

"I did not think you would want me to."

She raised an eyebrow in much the same fashion he usually did.

"Why on Earth not?"

"Did O'Neill not inform you that I am the one to take the blame for leaving you?"

He could see the confusion in her eyes and knew he had been right. O'Neill had not told her and now she would be furious.

"Wait. This is it? You're feeling guilty and think I should blame you?"

"Do you not?"

Raising his eyebrow, he studied her face. There was nothing but honesty and trust in them and Teal'c relaxed slightly.

"No. Of course not. Daniel told me everything that happened. You didn't have a choice. Why would I blame you? You only did what I would have done, what any soldier would have done."

He had tried to stay out of her way most of the time while they had been stranded on the planet and had only followed her if he feared for her well being. This latest revelation took him by surprise."I am sorry, Major Carter."

"Don't be. It's okay. It's just... I should have talked to you earlier. You've always been a good and loyal friend, Teal'c. Nothing could change that."

She knelt down and hugged him shortly, smiling when she drew back. The liquid was now gone from her eyes and she looked more like the warrior he had learned to know so well a life ago. Suddenly the expression in her eyes changed, became more thoughtful and sad, and Teal'c wondered what had caused this change.

"Now that we talked about this. Daniel also told me about Rya'c. I'm so sorry, Teal'c. He was such a great boy. I couldn't..."

Her words faded and Teal'c felt himself being pulled into the past. A past he did not want to revisit, but somehow could never get truly away from.

"He died as a warrior in our fight against the false gods."

There was nothing more to say, at least nothing that did not hold memories and he saw understanding in her eyes. Neither of them had noticed O'Neill's approach. 

"Teal'c, Carter. It's time. Gotta go."

Major Carter had pulled herself together again and Teal'c followed her lead as she stood up and flashed him a smile.

"Yeah, right. Hammond will be waiting. We should go."

Then they walked towards the Stargate and, inevitably, Earth. The thought was even more unwelcome, now that Samantha Carter and he had come clear, but he knew Earth was still the best place to fight the false gods and, after years of living on Earth he had learned to see it as home. Especially after Rya'c's death. So the metal ring looked rather inviting, the MALP sitting at its foot promising home. Punching in Earth's coordinates, he heard his friends saying goodbye to each other and hoped it would not be too long until they could meet again.

-----

It was hard watching them leave. Harder than she had anticipated. She was glad that Emily had stayed at the hut. Maarlin had volunteered to take care of her and Sam had stood silent as Shmela and Daniel had said their goodbyes.

Hammond had been convinced pretty fast that it was really SG-1 he was talking to, though his tone of voice had made clear that he was guarded. She couldn't really blame him for that. After all, they could've been implanted with a Goa'uld or worse.

She said her goodbye to Teal'c and Daniel, clinging to both like mad. After all, they had no idea when, if, they would meet again. From the relief on Jack's face after his conversation with Hammond, she knew he had been anticipating to find Earth gone. She hated not being able to help them and she hated them not being able to stay. Of course, they would all behave like the good soldiers they were and do what duty demanded of them.

Saying goodbye to Jack had been the hardest. There were still so many things she wanted to say, but somehow their time always seemed to run out. Maybe the two of them sometimes needed a smack on the head in form of Za'tarc tests to really talk.

"Be careful."

"Hey, you know I will." 

The worry in her voice was as real as the smile on his lips was hollow and she knew he was putting up a show for her benefit. His face turned serious as he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"Take care. Emily needs you."

She smiled at his words. Even though he didn't say it, she could hear the unspoken addition. 'I need you.'

"You know me."

This time, the smile was real.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

When he left, he never turned around. Not even one single glance. She watched him walking up the steps and then, from one second to the other, he was gone. Vanished. His molecules ripped apart and rebuilt on earth. And she was alone.

"Lovarra?"

Or not.

"Yes, Shmela. Let's go back. Emily has probably already made Maarlin regret his decision to babysit."

They walked the way back in silence. Shmela only spoke when the hut was already visible.

"I asked Cralen to join us."

Those words took Sam completely by surprise and she studied Shmela's face curiously.

"What did he say?"

"He said he still had some things to do that needed his attention, but he would be back soon."

Definitely not alone.

"That's good. I missed him."

"Yes, Lovarra. I missed him, too."

They had hardly opened the door when Maarlin came rushing out of the hut. His face showed a weird mixture of fear and confusion and Sam felt her insides crawl.

"Lovarra. Emily just vanished. Right in front of my eyes. One second she was there and the next she was gone."

"Shmela, stay here with Maarlin. I think I know where she is."

Sam ran the way back to the Stargate. This was what she had been afraid of. One more person to know about Emily's new abilities. Somehow she got the feeling that, to Emily, each of those new abilities was a new threat.

When she reached the clearing, panting and desperate for air, she saw her daughter sitting on the steps at the foot of the Stargate.

"Emily?"

Tears glistened in her daughter's eyes and Sam walked over to her, still breathing hard.

"They're gone."

"Yes. They are."

Emily didn't even blink when she looked up at her. Sam had seen the question forming on the girl's lips. 'Why?' But those words had never been spoken. The blue eyes had simply widened in fear and Sam scolded herself. Her daughter's unspoken question had raised pictures in her head that she couldn't control and Emily had picked them up easily. 

"It's okay. They'll come back."

Forcing herself to believe what she was saying, to know it without a doubt, she sat down next to Emily and cradled the girl in her arms.

"Jack promised me he'd come back."

"I know, honey. Jack always keeps his promises."

Yes, he always kept his promises.  
**

TBC

**

A/N: Okay people, I really really hate to do this, but at this point I am not above begging. Reviews, please. I might be persuaded to update faster, you know. - 


	4. Chapter 4

**

Chapter 6

**"Good to have you back, SG-1."

"Good to be home, Sir."

Jack O'Neill had been the last to step through the Gate, his eyes staring sadly in front of him and contrasting with his words. Now his eyes scanned the Gate room curiously, taking in the damage all around him.

"What happened here, Sir?"

"Later. For now, hand your weapons over and follow those men to the infirmary."

Each and every sense in Hammond told him that the men who now stood at the foot of the ramp, looking up at him with tired eyes were SG-1. If nothing, then the look on O'Neill's face when he had walked through the Stargate was enough to smooth over most of his doubts. The man looked as lost as he had when he had left the SGC four months ago. Still, he wouldn't risk his base on a gut feeling. Even after two months, the SGC was still recovering from the effects of the last attack.

General Hammond's eyes were glued to the small group that was now led to Dr. Brightman and he followed soon. When he reached the infirmary, Teal'c was already sitting on a bed being examined while the other members of his team were treated with the obligatory CT scan. Even though every cell in his body wanted to believe that these people were SG-1, he reminded himself that SG-12 had seemed perfectly okay when they had arrived. In the end, they had lost half the base when they turned out to be Goa'uld acting under the order of Apophis.

"Sir, what happened here?"

The voice of his 2IC made him spin around to catch the motion of Jack's hands waving in the air at his surroundings. The SF was still at his side and Hammond waited for the nod of the nurse before he signed for the SF to step away. It was in fact Jack O'Neill he was talking to and relief flooded through the older man.

"This is a long story, son. When you and your team are done, I want to see you in the briefing room."

He waited till it was entirely sure that the men in his infirmary were in fact his lost friends before he returned to his office. There was a call to make. The President would be delighted to hear about SG-1's return.

About an hour later, all four men found themselves sitting in the briefing room and Jack O'Neill had just started to explain how they had met the indigenous people of 702 and how they had been attacked by the Goa'uld and forced to escape. He explained how they crashed on some backwater planet and were rescued by a trader who brought them to the closest planet with a Stargate.

When Jack finished, he looked at Hammond expectantly.

"Now, Sir, why does the SGC need new paint?"

George Hammond sighed deeply as he looked at each member of the team in front of him. It was true. The SGC still looked very bombed out, even though the repairs were taking place as soon as possible.

"Two months ago, SG-12 returned from a mission four days late. It turned out that they had been captured by Apophis. He had implanted all of them with Goa'uld symbiotes. They disabled the iris and the SGC was overrun by Jaffa."

"Casualties?"

"43."

A heavy veil fell over the room.

Daniel was the first to break the silence.

"Oh my." 

"Yes, Doctor Jackson. We were able to fight the Jaffa back and kill Apophis, but the price was high."

"Therefore the SFs?"

Hammond nodded grimly. "We couldn't risk to let that happen again, not now that we're vulnerable."

They discussed the matter some more, before George dismissed SG-1. For now, his curiosity was sated.

"General? Can I have a word?"

George Hammond faced his 2IC and nodded slightly while he stepped into his office. He was curious what Jack wanted to talk about with him.

-----

"Sam, down!"

Cralen's voice shouted over the roar of firearms and Sam was on the ground just in time to miss a shot over her head. Turning on the ground, she spotted the Jaffa who had fired the shot and she took him out.

They had prepared the ambush, but they faced more Jaffa than anticipated. The original plan was to overtake the night shift on their way to one of Korfreane's fortresses and use their armor as disguise to enter the building where Shmela was being held.

Shmela had been undercover on Kasmuu, but a leak within the Nicrea had blown her cover. Sam had been adamant that they bail her out and the council had reluctantly agreed to send a small group of volunteers to Kasmuu. In the meantime, Orden would lead the Nicrea with the help of the council. As Cralen and Sam had volunteered immediately, the council had demanded that Orden take over command in case the two leaders didn't return and Sam had been glad of their decision. Orden had done a great job in the four months of her absence.

Another Jaffa approached her from behind, but Cralen had already taken care of him by the time she turned to fire. When her friend dropped himself heavily next to her, she fired again from her hidden position. To her horror, 15 more Jaffa had appeared out of nowhere.

"There aren't supposed to be so many. It's nearly as if they know that we're here."

"The leak seems to be higher up than we thought."

Firing another round of shots, she quickly ducked into the covering undergrowth again to escape the answering staff weapon blasts.

"If you're right, then it won't be easy to get into the fortress. We might need a small distraction."

A smile crept over Sam's face as she turned to Cralen, whose voice had sounded just like he already had something worked out.

"What do you have in mind?"

"My home village is just a short run in this direction."

Sam nodded impatiently as they fired another round. After all, Shmela had been chosen for this mission because of her knowledge about this place and the regional dialect.

"The villagers sympathize with our goal. Some of them even work in the fortress and might know how to enter it apart from the main entrance. The others will willingly help me to set up a distraction."

"Are you sure about them? We can't afford to be wrong."

"Trust me, Sam. Those people are my family."

Sam nodded and watched as Cralen vanished in the dark woods.

"Maarlin!"

The man just ducked in time to escape a blast and Sam took out another Jaffa. More and more of them seemed to block the path through the woods where they had set up the ambush. The fight continued without any sign from Cralen and Sam was beginning to doubt the wisdom of her decision. If help didn't arrive soon, in some form, they would need to withdraw.

It would all have been so easy if they could've stayed on 'their' planet by almost unanimous agreement called 'Eden'. Jack had been reluctant to accept anything else but 'Homer', but he had been outnumbered. Back there, the war had seemed so far away. They had been back for two months now and she missed it every day. She knew that some things were more important than her personal happiness but sometimes it was just… hard.

Darkness had now completely fallen and the fight still continued. Suddenly the sky was lit up by a fire in the general direction Cralen had run to. The stream of Jaffa stopped pouring into the fray nearly immediately and soon they had re-taken control of the situation. A figure approached out of the woods and she trained her weapon at it.

"Samantha Carter? Cralen sends me."

Sam lowered her weapon, but kept it securely in her hands as she watched the woman step closer to her.

"He said you needed access to the fortress. I work there and know of ways to get in without raising attention if you'll help me to free my sister."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Cralen gave me this to show you."

The woman reached out for her, holding a small amulet in her hand which Sam recognized as a present from Shmela to her brother. She nodded shortly, before whistling in a high pitched tone to gather her small troop. The burning sky lit the woods in a ghostly red glow as she picked out three men to come with her, sending the rest to help Cralen at the village. It didn't take long for Yalia, the woman that worked at the fortress, to find a secret entrance. Things started to look up. Maybe they could cause some collateral damage on their way that would help to lead the war to a quick end. Sam climbed down into a tunnel that would, according to Yalia, bring them close to the stronghold's dungeon. Just before she was enveloped by darkness, she caught a glimpse of a star and, as usual, she couldn't help but wonder whether her former team was looking up at the same star right now and whether they were all right, wherever they were.

-----

Under a purple sky, Daniel crept along the ground, carefully approaching the edge of a cliff. When he reached it, he silently took out his binoculars and scanned the people in the valley below until he spotted Jack and Teal'c standing surrounded by a group of at least 30 Jaffa. He slid his hand up to his radio and pressed the button.

"Jen, come in."

There was a short silence but, finally, he got an answer.

"Hailey."

"They brought them to the camp. At least 30 Jaffa."

"Damn, that's too many."

"I know. Call Hammond and ask for reinforcement."

"Okay. Hailey out."

Down in the valley, a Jaffa pushed his staff weapon in the back of Jack's knees and Daniel winced in response. Why did they always go for his knees? It wasn't like Jack had a sign painted on his uniform saying 'Please kick my knees'. Once again, Daniel wondered how long it would be until this war was finally over. At least, they were now a foursome again.

He had been surprised when Jack had, just some hours after their return from the extended stay with the Nicrea, proclaimed that they'd now have a new teammate. Hammond had been trying to set them up with new members ever since they had lost Sam, but Jack had never asked for or welcomed one until then.

Unfortunately, the change in behavior that Jack had sported since they had met Sam didn't go unnoticed by the General. As a result, Daniel and Teal'c had had to answer some pretty direct questions about their stay on Eden. He wasn't sure whether the General had bought the story about them being able to talk some sense into Jack, but he had accepted it willingly when he had realized that Jack O'Neill was back to his old self. Well, maybe not totally, but at least it was close enough.

As for Daniel, he missed Eden. Missed their time there and missed Shmela. He often wondered what she might be doing at any given moment. Jack and Teal'c had been seated on the ground and Daniel risked a quick glance at the sky, hoping Sam, Shmela, and Emily were well.

Was it really two months since their return from Eden?

"Daniel."

"Daniel here. Will they send help?"

"I'm already on my way to the camp. I've got SG-4 and 7 with me. SG-15 will stay at the Gate."

"I'll meet you on the path to the valley."

"Roger that. Hailey out.

Backing away from the cliff, he started his descent to meet with the others and, hopefully, to return to the SGC with Jack and Teal'c in tow. Just before he entered the woods, his longing eyes returned for one second to the sky.

-----

A fire was burning brightly under the night sky and Shmela rose as she heard a commotion outside her cell. Her whole body burned like that fire and her skin was nearly nonexistent anymore, but she was determined to greet her torturer standing tall and proud. She winced when she stretched her knee, praying that this would be the last time she would have to go through this.

"Shmela?"

A voice asking for her drifted through the dark corridors and the familiar sound made Shmela take several painful steps towards the door.

"Lovarra?"

"Yes. Stay clear from the door."

She pressed herself to the wall a couple of feet away from the door, her body cursing loudly, and watched as sparks flew and breathed out a relieved sigh as the door finally burst open. The Lovarra was the first to enter and Shmela greeted her with a radiant smile. 

"Come on. We've got to hurry."

It didn't take long for the Lovarra to realize that Shmela couldn't keep up with her and she draped one of Shmela's arms around her shoulder to steady her even though she seemed reluctant to hold her too tight, another member of the Nicrea watching their backs. They stopped at a crossing and the Lovarra made her wait until they heard the hurried steps of three or four people approaching.

"We've got her."

The voice belonged to a friend of Shmela's and the small group started again.

"In there."

She could barely see the outlines of a small hole in the wall but nonetheless started crawling in. Just then, a staff weapon blast roared through the air and hit one of the men's right shoulder.

Shmela was already too far inside the narrow tunnel to turn back, but she heard the Lovarra instruct everyone to go, while she would watch their backs. This woman had a knack about putting herself in dangerous situations, but there was nothing Shmela could do about it now but to crawl as fast as she could.

A definitely feminine scream ripped through the tunnel and Shmela's heart fell immediately. After some seconds of silence, there was the sound of a weapon, one of the Nicrea weapons, being shot and the Lovarra's voice, pressed but definitely her.

"Go. There might be more. Go."

When she reached the exit of the tunnel, she could see a red sky with the occasional star sparkling. A face appeared over the opening that was vaguely familiar, but Shmela couldn't place it properly. She climbed out of the tunnel, watching person after person stepping out and holding her breath with each new head to emerge from the hole. The woman that had been waiting outside immediately rushed to a woman that was half carried by one of the men.

Shmela let out a long sigh of relief when she spotted the Lovarra. She was the last to leave the tunnel and, even in the darkness, Shmela could see the dark stain of blood on her face.

"Everyone here? Good. Let's move to the ship. It's going to be difficult to escape once they realize Shmela's gone."

Fortunately they didn't meet any more enemies as they made their way to the hidden ship. A small number of Nicrea fighters was awaiting them, her brother running towards her as soon as he saw her. Just as they launched, they saw the fortress exploding into a ball of fire in the distance. Obviously her friends had been up to more than simply get her out of there. A strange feeling of glee shot through her as she watched the fading outlines of the red spot.

Once they were safe in space and on their way back, all of their wounds treated, she went to find the Lovarra. The healer had provided her with some kind of overall that fitted tightly. He had said it would help her skin to heal and Shmela already felt better, even though the strange material on her face felt awkward.

Despite the protests of the healer, Shmela had left and went in search of her friend. Cralen had told her how the Lovarra had fought to come after her and Shmela wanted, no needed, to thank her. The days in the prison had been everything but pleasant. Spies were not treated kindly, especially not now that the Nicrea had launched some guerrilla attacks that had caused serious damage to Korfreane and his snaky friend.

She found her friend in her quarters, sitting silently at the window and staring out into space. The white bandages around the Lovarra's head made the sight eerie, but then she herself probably looked much worse. So Shmela stepped in hesitantly. She didn't need to ask what the other woman was thinking about. The look of longing was obvious, at least to Shmela, and the sentiment far too familiar.

"Do you miss him?"

The voice of her friend made Shmela look up and she met the one blue eye that stared back at her, the other hidden under the white gauze. She blinked, stunned by the question, but then sighed deeply in defeat.

"I do. It's been a long two months."

"Yes."

"Sometimes I feel like this war will never be over and it'll all be too late. When I was in that prison, I thought this was it."

Her friend nodded silently and turned around to look out of the window again. The conversation reminded Shmela of the reason why she had come here.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming to rescue me."

A smile crossed the other woman's face and Shmela sat down next to her on the bench at the window.

"No one gets left behind."

Shmela simply nodded and then turned to watch the stars as well. They looked so peaceful. No one would think there was a war going on there. In fact, several wars, in which the men she had come to call friends on Eden were fighting on another front. This time it had been close and she couldn't help but wonder whether she'd ever see him again.

-----

The formerly bright purple sky was starting to darken and Jack was still crouching on the ground, his knee hurting terribly. This so wasn't what the mission should've been like. Inwardly he took a note for himself to never listen to a damn Tok'ra again. Why did he even bother? They never revealed all their cards anyway. Next time, one of those snakeheads stepped through the event horizon, he would simply push them back in. At the moment, it wasn't even much of a consolation that they hadn't had to face Sam's father. This particular snake had kept away from earth since her funeral, a fact Jack was immensely thankful for.

"O'Neill."

Teal'c's voice was low and Jack looked over to his friend curiously. They were both tied to the ground and could move neither legs nor arms, but the head of the Jaffa indicated fiercely in one direction. Soon Jack spotted the reason for Teal'c's strange behavior. Someone was giving them light signals, morse code.

'Then the traveler in the dark thanks you for the tiny spark.'

The familiar rhyme popped up in his head and he brushed it away quickly, concentrating instead on reading the code.

"That's Daniel. He says to distract the guards a bit, so they can sneak in." Jack whispered to Teal'c who inclined his head in understanding. Their aim had been to find out what exactly Anubis was up to. He'd been a bit hyperactive since their return from Homer and the Tok'ra were pretty sure it was just some sort of distraction. Obviously Anubis felt that it was time to take Cronus out, who in return thought the same. As a result, their fleets were slowly but steadily destroying each other's assets. Not pleased, Anubis had been working on some kind of new soldier at this backwater planet. Or, at least, that's what the Tok'ra thought.

Their original plan had been to sneak in and find out what good ol' Anubis was up to. Apparently, Daniel still wanted to go through with it, just with the exception that now they would have to retrieve Jack and Teal'c first. A glimpse of SGC personnel behind Daniel assured Jack that they might be able to get out here safely.

"Hey, you!" he called over to one of the guards. The Jaffa looked at him and slowly got up to his feet from where he was sitting at the fire.

"Hey, your god is nothing but a sneaky slimy snake."

Jack had spoken loud enough to raise the attention of at least five other Jaffa who were now approaching as well, anger flaring in their eyes. At least they were distracted.

"Anubis is no god. He is a mere impostor enslaving his followers."

"I think they got it, T."

The warrior towering now above him definitely looked like he got the gist of the taunts. From the corner of his eyes, Jack saw shadows creeping through the clearing. Well, time for the show.

A fist collided with his chin and his head rolled back at the impact. The Jaffa raised his hand for a second blow as his face suddenly scrunched up in pain and he sacked to the ground, nearly burying Jack on the way down. Daniel must have brought a sniper. The other Jaffa clearly had no idea what was going on and stared, surprised, at the dead figure of their friend when the next was hit.

Thirty minutes later, most of the Jaffa were dead and the lab stood in flames. Hailey and Daniel, with SG-7 in tow, had sneaked into the lab and, while SG-7 planted explosives strategically, Daniel and Hailey went to check out what the fuss was about. Unfortunately some Jaffa had taken offense at not being invited to their little spy party, resulting in five injured SGC personnel now being carried or limping into the Gate room.

Jack, leaning heavily on Teal'c, watched as Daniel and Hailey were wheeled out. Hailey had been hit by multiple blasts, fortunately mostly in the extremities and Dr. Brightman was already kneeling over her gurney on the way to the infirmary. Daniel had a nasty cut along the length of his arm and had lost a lot of blood.

"Colonel, what happened?"

"Let's say the Tok'ra didn't tell us the whole story."

Hammond nodded at him, looking at the twisted knee that stuck out awkwardly.

This had definitely not been a good day, Jack mused as he limped his way to the infirmary. Yes, at least they now knew what Anubis had hidden on this planet and, with some luck, had destroyed his plans. But when had they ever had luck? He paused in his mental ramblings. Okay, that had been unfair. After all, he had been lucky enough to find Sam again. Not many people could say that after they saw the ones dear to them die. Sam. He sighed. He dearly hoped her day had been better than his.

**

Chapter 7

**

"Happy Birthday, Honey."

She watched happily as her daughter blew out the candles on her favorite cake. Shmela had been able to get Vakaala, just for this occasion, and the girl eyed the thick frosting with the green Vakaala berries with anticipation.

"Here, Emily. This is for you."

It wasn't customary on Kasmuu to get presents on your birthday, or to even celebrate the day for that matter, but Sam wanted to keep this Earth tradition up. So Shmela and Sam had gathered for this cause and were now handing Emily her presents. Unwanted, the images of the girl's last birthday sprang to Sam's mind and, with those images, the faces that were missing right now.

Even though she had lived among the Nicrea for seven years now, it was harder letting the guys go this time. She knew it should be easier. The knowledge that they were to return should make it bearable but somehow it didn't. She missed them. A lot. More than she had missed them before their reunion. They had been so much closer during the last weeks of their exile on Eden than they had ever been on Earth.

A shock ran through the ship and Sam was pulled out of her thoughts and unceremoniously shoved back into reality. Emily's eyes widened fearfully as the cake fell to the floor. Shmela had already knelt down next to her and Sam shot her a grateful glance before she turned to the ship's communication system.

"Bridge, what's going on?"

Some seconds of silence filled the room, only broken by the scratching of a chair when Emily stood up to reach for Shmela.

"We were hit by a meteor, Lovarra. Nothing major, just a scratch on the hull."

Her heart beat returned back to normal and she turned to comfort her daughter. The girl had already calmed down remarkably, obviously sensing the relief that flooded the room. Sam had known it would be risky. She had hated to take Emily with her and had wanted to leave her with Shmela in the base. When she had explained to Emily that she couldn't be there for her birthday, the girl had started to scream, her eyes wide with fear and panic. Her daughter had insisted on coming along and had screamed each time Sam had taken just one step from her. She'd kept on repeating that 'Mommy was gonna leave her. Like in her dreams.' In the end, Sam had agreed. After all, they still had plan B. Even so, she was starting to regret having Emily come along.

"I'll be back in a second. Shmela, would you stay with her?"

The woman nodded and Sam smiled as she turned to walk over to the bridge. The golden corridors still gave her the creeps, but there was nothing they could do about it. They needed the ship, at least for now. Suddenly, the ship trembled violently and Sam fell against one of the hieroglyph-covered walls. Despite the constant shaking she rushed on, her feet carrying her to the bridge as fast as humanly possible.

"What was that?" she asked breathless the second the doors to the bridge opened.

"I don't know. My guess would be another meteor."

"Where?"

"Engine room."

She was through the door already and hurried down the corridors. Another meteor hit the ship and she didn't like the sound of it a bit. Finally she reached her destination and she checked the controls to make sure it was safe to go inside. It seemed as if none of the meteors had broken the hull and Sam watched the bulky doors slide apart.

The engine room looked like it usually did. Her little upgrades to the normal Goa'uld technology provided a funny sight but speed mattered more than looks and, this way, the ship flew three times faster than it would normally be able to. This was the reason why they had taken this ship. Their destination currently held no Stargate and they needed to cross heavily guarded territory. The Stargate for the outpost was still stored safely in the storage room of this vessel. Over the course of years, the Nicrea had mapped many planets as possible hideouts that held a Stargate, but were uninhabited. No one would even notice this particular Stargate wasn't where it was supposed to be. Or at least, that was what they were hoping.

Fortunately they hadn't run across any of Cronus' ships so far and they were already close to their destination, a small planet that now held one outpost of the Nicrea. A call from there had reached them three days ago, asking for her attention. Suddenly, she stopped. There was a strange sound and something at the back of her mind started screaming loudly. She knew this sound. It was like metal scratching on metal. A movement at the edge of her construction caught her eye and she suddenly knew what the sound was. Turning around as fast as she could, she started fleeing to her quarters. They needed to evacuate as soon as possible. There was no way they could risk fighting.

It probably wouldn't take them long to take control over the ship's systems and who knew what would happen to the crew if they did. As long as they didn't see them as a threat, they wouldn't attack. They had to use this to their advantage, at least until Emily was safe.

Back in the room Shmela looked up at Sam expectantly upon her entering, but she just made her way over to the communication system immediately.

Once the evacuation was set, Sam picked up Emily and started off towards the pods. She knew Shmela would be desperate to know what was going on, but she wouldn't discuss this in front of Emily. Not that the girl didn't sense there was something going on. Sam merely refused to acknowledge this by talking about it.

What were they doing here anyway? This territory should be guarded by Cronus. Maybe this was the reason why Cronus had been so subdued lately. There had hardly been any attacks on the various hideouts. The one they were currently approaching had found a piece of very advanced technology and they had asked for some technician to check it out. She had sent Marcol to them, the best engineer she had, and his report on the machine had piqued her curiosity. She couldn't help, but to see it on her own. Now she wished she hadn't. But then, none of the others could've understood what she'd just heard.

Pushing Emily into one pod, she told her to stay still until she came back and then turned to explain everything to her friend.

"Lovarra, what…," Shmela had just started but Sam cut her short with a movement of her hand.

"Later. We need to get off this ship. If we're separated or something happens to me you'll take over command of this mission. Now go. I'll see you on the planet."Turning towards the console on the wall, she quickly made sure that everyone had left the ship, before she motioned for her friend to step into one of the pods and Sam joined Emily again.

Pushing the button to launch the pod, she felt the movement as the engines fired up and they were shot into space. The escape capsule was so narrow, it hardly held enough space for Emily and her, but she couldn't imagine letting Emily go on her own now. She had no idea where the capsule would come down and could only hope it would be a halfway decent planet. If they were lucky, it would even be the planet they were looking for. Suddenly something impacted with the pod and Sam was only too aware of what it would most likely be. Looking down to her daughter, she saw the small body shaking, her hands digging into Sam's. She wanted to take her daughter in her arms, but the confines of the pod were to small to allow any movement.

"Emily, do you have the letter with you?"

She felt her nodding against her leg and Sam sighed relieved. She had made Emily carry the letter with her where ever she went and it was a good thing Emily was such a good girl.

"Remember what I told you about Plan B?"

Once again the little head nodded and a tear slipped from Sam's eye.

"Okay Honey. Now it's time for Plan B. Be a good girl and do it, Emily."

The little hands tightened around Sam's leg and Sam hugged her as she heard screeching sounds coming from the capsule's hull.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Emily. Now go."

One second, the head nodded against her leg and the other it was gone. Sam suddenly felt empty. So very empty. Her heart screamed at her for sending Emily away, but as she heard the metal gnawing outside, she knew it had been the right decision.

-----

A soft whimper awoke him and he sat bolt upright. Someone was in his house. He felt for his gun, before he winced as he climbed out of bed, the staff blast to his right leg he'd gotten on his last mission still smarting. They'd run into one of Anubis' Darth Vader style super soldiers. Some of them had apparently survived when Daniel and Hailey had blown up Anubis' lab. Tok'ra intelligence had it that the entire lab had been destroyed, but what did they know anyway? The still red scar on Jack's leg said clearly otherwise.

Despite the pain in his leg, Jack moved stealthily through the room.

A thud was heard from just outside his bedroom door and he opened it cautiously only to be frozen at the sight before him. There were a couple of things he had expected but not this.

For nearly a year now, he had tried to stop himself from thinking about Carter and, now, Carter's daughter stood in his hall, her face only lit by the street lamps outside.

"Emily?"

She had grown and now nearly reached his hip as she stood there, tears running down her face. Her eyes watched him for a second before she launched herself onto him and her little fingers dug into his legs with all her might. Quickly scooping her up, he carried her back into his room, where he sat down on his bed. The girl still had her arms around his neck and was nearly strangling him. Switching the light on, he held Emily close, her tears already soaking his shirt.

He desperately wanted answers, but he knew he'd get none as long as Emily was still crying. Soothing her softly, his hand drew small circles on her back as he rocked her to and fro. Finally, the girl calmed down, but she didn't let go of him.

"How did you get here, Emily? Does your mom know you're here?"

The girl swallowed hard and Jack regretted having to ask her those questions.

"Plan B."

Plan B? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Her grip loosened and she started fumbling with a small bag around her neck. Pulling out a piece of paper, she handed it to him. He felt his stomach twist painfully as he caught a glimpse of Sam's writing on the note and took it carefully from Emily.

"This from your mom?"

The girl nodded and new tears started to swell in her eyes. He embraced her once again and held the paper behind her back so that he could read it.

"Hello Jack,

I know we agreed Colorado would be just as dangerous as any place for Emily, but this is my failsafe. I told Emily to find you should anything go wrong. If she's there with you and you're reading this letter, it obviously has. I'm sorry to do this to you, but this is the only way I know to keep Emily safe. Take care of her.

With all my love, Sam."

He re-read the note a couple of times and tried to fight down the nauseous feeling that was washing through him.

"Emily, what happened?"

"We were on a ship. Mom wanted to go to some planet and we were hit by something. Shmela said not to worry, it was only a rock but then another hit us. Mom ran away and when she returned she told everyone to leave the ship. She was afraid of something and I was afraid because Mom was afraid. She's never afraid of anything. We left the ship, but something hit us, and Mom told me it was time for Plan B."

The big blue eyes were now fixed on Jack and he could see the fear in them.

"Mom left me. It's like in the dreams. I'm always alone and Mom is gone."

Jack remembered her having those dreams and embraced her once again.

"It's okay, Emily. Everything will be okay. You're not alone. I'm here."

He only wished he could believe those words. Whatever had happened on that ship, it didn't sound good. He needed to find out what had exactly happened and he needed to make sure Emily was safe. Absently he felt for his phone and dialed blindly. It seemed ages before he heard a sleepy voice at the end of the line.

"Daniel, you remember Emily, the hot blue-eyed babe you fell for last year?"

Jack could directly hear the wheels turning in his friend's head and was more than relieved when Daniel played along.

"Sure. Why?"

"She's here and wants to talk to you. You think you can manage to stop by? Maybe bring Murray along?"

"She's... I'll be there in half an hour."

When he looked down at Emily, she looked awfully tired and miserable. Not that he could blame her. She'd just left everything behind she had ever known.

"Hey, I bet you've never heard of 'The Simpsons'. Come on, I'll show you."

Maybe he could distract her a bit. He needed to think this all through and he couldn't as long as Emily was fully concentrating on him. She was worried enough, she didn't need his worry to add to that.

-----

"With what do you require my help, Daniel Jackson?"

Teal'c was rather unhappy. He did not like to be disturbed in the middle of his Kel'no'reem, but his friend was adamant that he needed his help. At the same time, he refused to say why. Now, they were both sitting in the car and Teal'c noticed the other man had taken the road that would lead them to O'Neill's house.

"Jack just called me and said Emily had shown up at his house."

It only took a second to understand what he was talking about.

"Why would Emily Carter appear at O'Neill's house?"

"This is the question I'd like to have answered myself. He sounded worried, Teal'c. He obviously thought the line wasn't safe and I couldn't ask him anything else."

Emily Carter certainly would not just appear on Earth for entertainment. He had been told about the ability of the girl to vanish and reappear somewhere else, but he did not believe Major Carter would allow her to do so for no reason. Especially over such a long distance.

Finally, the car pulled up in O'Neill's driveway and they climbed out, eager to see what this was all about. O'Neill was already awaiting them and signaled for them to be quiet. He led them over to the kitchen, the only sound the familiar voices of the yellow TV characters his friend was so attached to.

"She just fell asleep and I don't want to wake her." O'Neill whispered at them and his friends nodded in understanding.

"What's going on here, Jack? Why did she show up?"

"All I know it that their ship got attacked by something or someone. It was obviously pretty bad. They had to leave the ship, but their pod was attacked as well. Carter had told Emily to search for me if something went wrong. That's all I know."

"Major Carter would not send her daughter away had she not thought her life to be in danger."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Teal'c. Emily said that Carter was scared. When have any of you ever seen her scared?"

They were interrupted as a scream ripped through the air of the silent house. O'Neill sped out of the room immediately, followed by Teal'c and Daniel. When he entered the living room, he found O'Neill sitting on the couch, holding Emily Carter in his arms.

"Shhh, sweety. I'm here. It's okay."

"She left, Jack. Mom left."

"I know. It's okay."

After a while, the girl stopped crying and O'Neill smiled at her encouragingly.

"Hey, look who stopped by to see you."

He pointed to Daniel and Teal'c and Emily's eyes followed the direction. Her face lightened up remarkably.

"Teal'c! Daniel!"

Freeing herself from O'Neill's grip, the girl set off in Teal'c's direction and he knelt down to greet her properly.

"I am overjoyed to see you, Emily Carter."

"Yeah, I missed you, too."

She turned to Daniel next and hugged him in much the same way she had hugged Teal'c. After her greeting, she returned to O'Neill and sat down next to him, eying all of them suspiciously.

"You're going to save Mom, right?"

O'Neill's eyes met his and Teal'c felt his reluctance to answer the question. He did not want to promise the girl something he could not keep and Teal'c understood why. 

"We will do everything possible to get her back, Emily."

Daniel Jackson had chosen the right words for them and Emily nodded satisfied, a small smile grazing her face. She yawned heartedly and O'Neill smiled brightly at her.

"You wanna have some hot chocolate?"

"What's that?"

"You don't know what hot chocolate is!" Jack's tone exuded mock horror, "You'll love it. Danny, T and I will fix you some, okay?"

Emily nodded and they returned to the kitchen to search for the hot chocolate packets with little marshmallows. Teal'c shot O'Neill a questioning look as the man shoved the cup into his hands. He would have to hurt his friends should this event ever become public knowledge.

"So, what do we do with Emily?"

Daniel Jackson had spoken out the question that was running through everyone's mind.

"We cannot risk her arrival here being known."

"Right. I already thought about it. I know the perfect place. No questions and as far away from civilization as it can get. Now we only need to find out where Carter is. Our next mission is scheduled in four days."

"Where do you plan to take her, O'Neill."

"My sister's. I need the two of you to stay here and prepare everything. You need to cover my absence and try to gather any information that could help us. We can't involve Hammond without raising questions that I don't want to answer. So, it's not like this will be an officially sanctioned kind of thing."

"I understand."

"When do you leave?"

"When we've finished our drinks. I want to leave ASAP. The sooner I'm back, the sooner we will be able to search for Carter."

Picking up two cups of hot chocolate, O'Neill was just about to leave the kitchen.

"Jack. I think I know how we find out where Sam is. Do you have a star charter?"

-----

Emily was fast asleep on the seat next to him as he drove over the border to Minnesota. He was itching to go search for Carter instantly but Emily came first. Now he had a little more realistic view of the agonizing dilemma Sam must have faced when she had to decide whether to return to Earth or not.

Daniel and Teal'c were trying to find the Gate coordinates for the spot Emily had pointed out and if there were none, to contact the Tok'ra. He hated to involve someone outside of SG-1, and particularly a snakehead. At least he knew the guys wouldn't allow anyone apart from Jacob Carter to take part in this mission. There was just one problem. SG-1 wasn't a three man team anymore.

"What is that?"

He glanced over at Emily, whose nose was now pressed against the window of his truck. The sun had started to dawn and its first rays now covered the landscape in a sleepy red glow. Just behind her, Jack saw a train passing by and he smiled at how much Emily sounded like Carter. Ever since the beginning of their trip, she hadn't stopped asking him questions, even more than she had done back on Homer.

"That's a train."

"What's a train?"

"A train is like a car, only bigger."

"Did Mom ever use a train?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"Why do some people use a train and some not?"

"You know what? Make a list and ask Danny when we're back, will ya?"

Emily giggled and he shot her a glare.

"What's so funny?"

"Mom said you're grumpy."

He hadn't expected that. He had just wanted to quiet her for a while and this was what he got.

"She did, huh? When?"

"The first day when you came through the Stargate. She said not to mind you and that you were just a grumpy old man."

There was nothing he could say to that. They hadn't exactly started off on a good foot, he had to admit that. At the moment, he would just be happy to have her say anything to him.

"You hungry?"

Emily nodded and he watched for a diner to stop at. At least that would shut her up for some time. Or so he had thought. Four hours later, he found out he had been wrong. She hadn't stopped asking questions until they stood in front of their destination.

"Johnny!"

The loud scream that filled the air as soon as the door in front of them opened was only too familiar and Jack grimaced at his sister. He had always hated that name, but she refused to call him anything else.

"Hey Joy."

Jocelyn hugged him heartily and then took a long look at Emily. They were disturbed by squeals from inside.

"Uncle Jack!"

Two kids launched themselves at him and he had a hard time keeping them under control. A whole pack of Jaffa was nothing compared to the little monsters. Mike was standing in some distance. He'd probably figured that it wasn't really appropriate for a 19 year old to jump his uncle.

"Okay everyone. Get off of Uncle Jack and let him breathe."

Complaining, the horde stepped back and were now looking curiously at Emily.

"Now who's that lovely young lady?"

Emily blushed a bit and shook the outstretched hand reluctantly. She glanced over at Jack who nodded in response.

"My name's Emily."

"Hello, Emily. Why don't you and Johnny come in?"

The look his sister shot him told him that he had really a lot of explaining to do.

-----

"Send my best wishes to Master Bra'tac, Teal'c."

"I will, General Hammond."

With that, Daniel and Teal'c stepped through the Gate. On the other side, they were greeted by Teal'c's old master, who smiled at them broadly. How come Bra'tac smiled so often, when Teal'c always looked like he was about to hurt somebody? Pushing the thought aside, Daniel watched as his friend greeted his mentor.

"Daniel Jackson, it is good to see you again."

"Thanks Bra'tac. It's been a while."

"Indeed. Jacob Carter arrived two hours ago. He is waiting for you in the camp."

Daniel smiled gratefully and followed Bra'tac as he led the way to the camp. He didn't look forward to meeting Jacob again. The last time they had met was the day after Sam's funeral and Daniel had given him a piece of his mind about his behavior towards Jack. They had not exactly parted on good terms.

...

  
_  
"What did you say to him, Jacob?"_

"Nothing that would concern you, Doctor Jackson."

A few airmen passed by and shot them weird looks. Of course it wasn't everyday you got to see a former General who was now a Tok'ra fighting with one of his daughter's closest friends in front of the Gateroom.

"Whatever you said to him, it damn well concerns me. He's my friend and I won't just stand there watching you do this to him. He's suffering enough already."

"It's nothing compared to what he did and you know it."

Daniel flinched at the hatred now visible in Jacob's eyes. He blamed Jack for her death and the sentiment was just too familiar to Daniel not to notice.

"It was an accident. It could've happened to you as well."

"**I** didn't shoot my daughter!"

Jacob had now screamed at the top of his voice. He didn't seem to mind anymore just who was listening. For some minutes they stood silently staring each other down. There wasn't really something Daniel could say that would make Jacob see reason. In the end, Jacob broke the look and turned around, the door to the Gateroom opening swiftly.

When the door started to close again, Daniel hurried through.

"Jacob? Jacob?"

The older man was already standing on the ramp, the blue puddle had sprung to life just a second ago. Without even turning around, Jacob stepped through the even horizon. At least it was plain to see where Sam had gotten her stubbornness from.

"Let him go."

Daniel turned around to meet the brown eyes of his friend, now dull and dead.

"He's right anyway."

Before Daniel had the chance to say a thing, Jack had walked out of the room. The image of those eyes still scared him. He'd seen him like that once before and he didn't like the thought of these blank eyes one bit.

…

When they entered Bra'tac's tent, Jacob spun around in his chair.

"Daniel. Teal'c."

"Jacob. I'm glad you could come."

"What do you want?"

In some aspects, Jacob and Jack were very much alike. Always straight to the point. He didn't even try to conceal his dislike of the situation. At least he had shown up. That was something.

"We need your help."

The surprise in Jacob's face was quickly hidden and his voice sounded absolutely cold when he continued.

"What for?"

"Jacob, you better sit down. Nothing that is spoken here is to leave the room."

"Daniel?"

Behind him, he heard Teal'c step closer to the flap, making sure that they wouldn't be interrupted. Bra'tac had already agreed to take watch outside and make sure that no one would be able to hear what was said inside.

"We need a ship that will bring us here."

Daniel pulled out some coordinates and showed them to Jacob. The man simply glanced at them, his eyes flashing in a bright gold.

"Why do you need our help? You have got ships of your own."

"I know this is hard to understand, Selmak. But please let me explain."

The Tok'ra watched him with a guarded expression and Daniel continued, bracing himself for the worst part of this.

"We think one of our people got into trouble and we need to get there ASAP. It's not totally official, so we can't take one of our ships."

Jacob nodded quickly, the sign that indicated the change in personalities.

"It's Jack, isn't it? He got himself into trouble once again and you need me to bust him out. You should have known better than to waste your time asking me."

"It's Sam."

"You really should have known better. I mean, the man killed my daughter. I will never... WHAT?"

Daniel saw the exact moment this piece of information tickled into Jacob's brain and watched the rage making way for utter disbelief.

"It's Sam. She's alive, at least she was two days ago. Will you help us?"

"You KNEW and you didn't tell me? How? I mean why?"

...

_"Why the hell did you do that, Jack?"_

"A bit louder, Daniel. I think the guys from NORAD haven't heard you!"

"Why can't we tell him, Jack? You've seen him. He lost half the base while we were gone. Don't you think we owe him?"

Teal'c stepped between the two of them, his eyes boring into Daniel's as he looked down at him.

"O'Neill was right, Daniel Jackson. It is not General Hammond whom we cannot trust."

Daniel couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't believe the two of them had just done what they did.

"Teal'c, the man is her godfather! And he thinks she is dead!"

A loud sigh brought the attention back to Jack, who sat down in the chair behind his desk. The man had just denied the simple existence of the Nicrea. He had told Hammond that they'd met some natives, been attacked by Goa'uld and got stranded on some planet until a trader saved them. Daniel still couldn't believe what he'd witnessed.

"This is exactly the point, Daniel. He thinks she died six years ago. It won't hurt to have him think that a little longer. You saw what the base looks like. Apophis practically blew up the whole place before they were able to kill him. You saw the fear in the eyes of everyone here and how they looked at us. They were afraid, Daniel. What do you think would happen if they ever found out about her being alive or about Emily?"

Suddenly understanding started to dawn. Jack was trying to protect her. This was what all this was about.

"They would force her to come back and take Emily apart."

Daniel's voice sounded defeated. There was nothing he could say. Jack trusted Hammond, but they couldn't trust the men that stood behind him.

"So we simply keep this to ourselves until this is all over?"

"Basically. Unfortunately Apophis' death has led to some unforeseen events. Hammond said that Cronus has taken over Apophis' fleet. The fact that should really worry us is that the fight between Cronus and Anubis has been fueled by the death of his royal snakiness. It's what we had hoped for, but it didn't work out the way we wanted it to. Apparently there isn't a single SG team out there who hadn't been run over by any of the troops."

So this was what Hammond had discussed with Jack after he'd dismissed Teal'c and Daniel.

"Anubis and Cronus are fighting against each other, but we're in the middle?"

"Yup."

Daniel nodded and sat down in a chair in front of Jack's desk. Teal'c remained silent, but Daniel could see the tension within him. The new victories of Cronus weren't good news, to any of them, but they were just so much worse for Teal'c.

"I asked Hammond to assign a new member to SG-1."

Jack's voice startled him. He'd thought about Teal'c and his father and how they couldn't even tell Sam's father that she was still alive as his people would probably hunt her daughter just as much as the NID would. Life wasn't fair.

...

"Jacob, will you help us?"

"I will have a ship ready in three hours. It takes us two days to get there. We should start ASAP and you've got some explaining to do."

Now the only thing that needed to be done was to convince General Hammond that Daniel should be allowed to stay with Bra'tac for some time. His expertise wasn't needed on the next mission and it was a fortunate coincidence that Bra'tac's people had just stumbled over what seemed to be the archaeological finding of the century. He was pretty sure that Hammond would agree to his stay. Teal'c and Jack would meet them in two days at the closest Stargate to their destination.

With that, Jacob stormed out of the tent and towards the Stargate. Well, this would be a nice two days, wouldn't it? And the best was still to come. Somehow Daniel didn't think that the meeting between Jack and Jacob would go swell.

-----

His nephew and his niece had reluctantly let go of him and had made him promise to come back soon. He knew he didn't visit them as much as he probably should but it was just very hard for him. Mike, his oldest nephew, was two years younger than Charlie and they looked so much alike. The boys had been best friends and, even today, it was hard for Jack to look at Mike without seeing Charlie at his side.

Smiling at his oldest nephew, he shook his hand, but the boy, man, reached out for him to pull him into a hug.

"Watch out for ya, Uncle Jack."

"I will, Mike. Take care of your mother."

"You know I will."

He patted Mike on the cheek and smiled at him affectionately. He was a good boy. When Joy's husband had died four years ago, the boy had stepped in. Jack still felt guilty. He should have been there for them but he had been too caught up in his own pain to realize the problems of others.

"Your dad would be very proud of you, Mike."

"Thanks, Uncle Jack."

With a last smile and shining eyes, Mike turned around and herded his siblings back into the house. Jack now turned to Emily. The girl was close to tears, but she didn't cry. Six years old, left alone on a strange planet without a person she knew, but she didn't cry. She really was a Carter. 

"Be brave, okay?" Jack brushed the dark hair back from her face. "I'll be back soon and have your mom with me."

Emily nodded at him and gave him a sad smile. He could tell she didn't want him to leave, but he knew his sister would take good care of her.

When he hugged the girl, he whispered into her ear, "And no vanishing tricks or mind reading. We'll stay in contact."

Once again, the girl nodded and he turned to say goodbye to his sister.

"Take care."

"You too, Johnny. I don't want to get this phone call."

"You won't."The staff weapon wound on his leg, though thoroughly healed, shot a flash of pain through him and he nearly winced at his own promise. Unable to hold his sister's look, he kissed her on the cheek before he turned to leave. It was going to be a long ride back and he really needed to get started. Each minute he spent longer was a minute lost to Carter. Minutes she might not have. He just hoped they wouldn't be too late. Just before he reached his truck, he heard hurried steps behind him. When he turned around, he saw Emily frozen in front of him.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright. Go back to Aunt Joy, okay?"

"Mom's alive, Jack. But she's hurt."

"I'll find her, Emily. Promise. Now go back."

Emily hugged him again before she turned around and went back to Joy. He watched until he saw the two of them disappearing in the rear mirror, Joy's hands on the girl's shoulders. He just hoped Emily wouldn't raise too many questions. At least it would be good for her to be around children. From what Jack had been able to see, there weren't many within the Nicrea and probably less who would be allowed to play with the Lovarra's daughter.

He just hoped they'd find Carter in time and that he hadn't just made a promise he couldn't hold.

**

TBC

**

A/N: Thanks to those of you who reviewed. It made me smile. I should hand out cookies or something, dontcha think? Double chocolate chip? 


	5. Chapter 5

**

Chapter 8

**

Checking her gear one last time, Jen Hailey made sure everything was in place. General Hammond's voice filled the room and her hands came to a rest on her weapon.

"SG-1, you have a go."

Colonel O'Neill shot Hammond a half-hearted salute before he stepped through the Gate. They were looking for a new Alpha Site and their mission was to check yet another planet out. It was an easy mission, but none of them would complain, not after the last one. They all carried scars from that mission and she didn't want to repeat that too often. At least they had taken out that Darth Vader thing.

She was the last to enter the event horizon. The Colonel had taken the lead and Teal'c had followed him swiftly. It had been a bit of a surprise when Colonel O'Neill had told her that Daniel wouldn't come along on this mission, but stay with Bra'tac. Well, they'd manage without him this time, though she knew she was going to miss him. He was the only one of her team that she really felt comfortable with.

Colonel O'Neill still gave her the creeps. She had never really found out what had happened during the months that SG-1 had been missing, but the Colonel that had returned to them wasn't the man that had left. He was more like when they had met the first time over seven years ago, but the sudden change in behavior didn't sit right with her. The other members of SG-1 had been pretty tightlipped about the events that happened while they were away and if the General knew something, he didn't show it. At least, Hammond seemed to trust the Colonel, otherwise he wouldn't be going through the Gate anymore.

Cold and for a second stiff, she exited the wormhole on the other side and was greeted by two raised Zat weapons.

"Lower your weapon, Captain."

She watched her CO and his 2IC with wide eyes. Teal'c held his gun firmly trained at her, while Colonel O'Neill motioned for her to lay down the P-90 she was carrying. None the less, his Zat was steadily aimed and she slowly unclasped her gun, before she shoved it on the ground.

"Colonel?"

"I'm sorry Hailey. I wouldn't do this if it wasn't necessary."

His finger on the trigger tensed and she knew he was about to fire. Just at that moment, an arrow missed Teal'c's shoulder by mere inches.

"Shit. I thought this planet was uninhabited!"

The Colonel's attention was solely on the natives, who were now approaching them steadily and Hailey considered launching herself on him, but quickly brushed the thought away. It wouldn't do any good in her current position to disable him and she probably would be brought up to charges afterwards.

"Teal'c, dial out. You know where we're heading."

Teal'c nodded and started to sprint for the DHD while Colonel O'Neill grabbed Hailey and pulled her out of the way of the soon to be open wormhole. They ducked for cover behind the dais of the Stargate. Still, the natives were approaching. Well, this was a definite negative for considering this spot as Alpha Base. In front of them, the blue puddle sprang into life and Teal'c jogged back. Hailey was dragged along by the Colonel and she hardly had time to reach for her P-90, before they stood on yet another planet.

Swatting his hands away, Hailey turned to him furiously. Neither Teal'c nor the Colonel had currently aimed their guns at her and she flashed them an angry look.

"What was that about, Sir?"

The 'Sir' was nearly spat and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She knew she was bordering on insubordination, but at the moment she didn't really care. His eyes blazed as he stared back at her.

"We were attacked by natives."

Even though she might have laughed at that, in this situation it wasn't really funny.

"You were trying to shoot me."

"Just trying to save your career, Airman."

"Sir, you were clearly heading somewhere. Teal'c knew the symbols already. Shooting me would only make sense if you wanted to keep your destination unknown to the SGC. You wanted to use your Zat, so you didn't plan to seriously hurt me. Now that I've seen the coordinates, it wouldn't make much sense to leave me behind, would it, Sir?"

The frustration in his eyes gave way to resignation.

"Obviously not."

For the first time, she took a look around the planet. It seemed to be nothing but a huge rock covered with sand. The flaring heat was already taking its toll on her and she hoped they wouldn't have to walk too far from the Gate. Colonel O'Neill sank down at the foot of the Gate and Teal'c took seat some steps above.

"What are we doing here, Colonel?"

He took out his sunglasses from his vest and pushing them up his nose, he shot her a last glance, amusement clearly sparkling in the brown eyes.

"We're waiting, Captain."

With that, he turned his back on her and pulled out his yo-yo. This was so not what she'd expected. Waiting? Great.

Something was thrown at her from the Colonel's direction and she ducked away quickly. The item landed behind her and she could nearly hear both men's smirks as she reached for the sunscreen. Yes, this was going to be nice.

-----

His fingers were drumming a steady beat on his P-90 as he watched the ship descend. This was something he wasn't looking forward to but there was no way they'd been able to pull this stunt on their own. No other situation would've made Jack ask Jacob for help, but this was Carter's life in question here.

"Who's that? Colonel?"

He could hear the anxiety in Hailey's voice. After his earlier behavior, she probably thought he was going to betray them or something. Damn those natives. Even so, there was an upside to it. Hailey was smart and a good soldier. Maybe they would still need her help before all of this was over. The ship hovered above them and they watched the doors for the rings slip open.

"Friends."

A second later, the white light of the rings engulfed them and the noise silenced Jack's added "Hopefully."

"Hey."

Daniel greeted them and Jack breathed out heavily. He hadn't noticed that he was holding his breath, but the meeting he was dreading was inevitable.

...

_"I want you to know that I blame you for this. It's your fault that she's dead. You haven't even brought her home to give her this last respect."_

Jack's eyes shut against the accusations, each of them hitting home. It was his fault. He'd shot her. He'd left her. His fault. His blame.

"Jacob, I…"

"No, Colonel. I don't want to hear it. You killed my daughter. Don't think I could ever forgive you."

"I'd never ask for that."

Jacob let out a long angry growl as he watched Jack through narrowed eyes.

"At least you know what it's like to lose a child. So you'll never forget what you've done to me."

The words hit him like a truck and Jack nearly stumbled back from the impact. His fault. His blame. Every time, it came down to that.

"No witty answer to that, Colonel? I don't know what she ever saw in you."

He heard Jacob turning around and walking over the gravel that led to the exit of the graveyard. Jack's eyes fell down to the coffin again and then rose up into the clear blue sky. He knew he deserved it, every little piece of the pain he felt. Even though it hurt, he refused to do anything about it. There were only two ways for him to go. Either he allowed the pain or he'd go numb. As much as he would've loved to feel nothing, he knew he deserved this punishment more than anyone else. He'd done too many bad things that finally caught up with him.

Only his bad spell pulled in the people around him. How many had been thrown into the abyss while he was trying to stay afloat? Charlie, Sara, Carter... how many were still to come? No, he wouldn't allow that. He would keep the pain, embrace the pain as a warning. Never allow that again. Never. Allow. That. Again. If he broke with the things that were precious to him now, there wouldn't be anymore pain. Maybe, some distant day, he would be able to let go of the pain and simply stay numb. Maybe. But not today, not tomorrow.  
  


...

"Daniel!"

The surprised voice of Hailey took his mind off his unpleasant thoughts.

"Jen?"

Daniel was clearly as surprised as she was and she immediately launched all the questions to him that Jack had been unwilling to answer. It didn't really make sense to keep this a secret and Jack nodded at Daniel as he shot him a questioning glance upon meeting this information hound.

"How long till we get there, Daniel?"

"Jacob said about three or four hours."

"That long?"

His friend nodded and Jack sighed deeply. He had tensed up just at the mention of that name.

"I will retreat to perform Kel'no'reem until we reach our destination."

"Sure buddy. Go ahead."

If Jack hadn't known that he was disturbing Teal'c, he would've thought about coming along. Maybe he could've hidden that way. Daniel and Hailey were now in the back of the cargo bay. From the yelp and the face Hailey pulled, Jack figured Daniel had probably told her about Sam's resurrection. Straightening his shoulders, he decided to leave the two of them alone, at least for a while.

Before he entered the bridge, he was short of chickening out. His brain was helpfully supplying the mantra 'You're a Colonel in the United States Air Force. You don't run away and hide.' over and over again, not that it really helped much. Taking one last breath, he stepped through the metal doors that slid apart immediately. 

-----

He knew who had entered the bridge without even looking up. This was something he really, really didn't want to do. The events of their last meeting had played in his head over and over again during the last two days he'd spent with Daniel on this ship and he realized that he'd said some pretty bad things to Jack. To bring in his dead son was just a blow in the guts and damned unfair, he knew that now that he saw more clearly about this. To be honest, he'd known that for a while as Selmak had been so kind to point out exactly what she thought about his behavior on the graveyard.

Of course, this man had killed his daughter. And this he couldn't forgive, but at the same time, he knew that if Jack O'Neill could have taken her place in that coffin, he would've done it without hesitation. There had always been more to the relationship of those two than he had been comfortable with. Even so, after Sam's death it had only served to fuel his anger. His daughter had trusted her CO and he had let her down.

A thought crawled up from somewhere in his mind and as much as he hated it, he knew the man, who now stood behind him in anticipation of the things to come, deserved an apology.

"Jack."

"General."

So, he was trying to do this the hard way. Not that Jacob could blame him for that. With one swift movement, he turned around to face the other man.

"Listen, Jack."

"No, General. Let's just go in there and get her out."

The icy tone in his voice was pretty clear. Jack O'Neill was just as stubborn as his daughter or as he himself was, for that matter.

"I'm sorry."

It was one of the hardest things Jacob had ever done and he didn't like it a bit. Jack simply shot him a look before he sat down on the other chair.

"So, Daniel says another three to four hours?"

"Yes."

Jacob turned back to the panels and watched the darkness of space drift by. As casually as possible, he tried to inquire a bit more. Daniel hadn't been very informative, apart from telling him that Sam wasn't dead.

"How do you know where Sam is? Daniel said you got a call from a friend."

"We did."

"Who's this friend and why can't Hammond know about this?"

He didn't move as he felt Jack's eyes glare at him. At that moment, he definitely knew that there was more to it than Daniel had told him. The young archaeologist had squirmed uneasily while withstanding his inquiry but hadn't let a single word slip.

"The friend is a close friend of Sam's. Sam wanted to keep the lid on her resurrection, so we decided to leave Hammond out of this."

Jack looked him right in the eyes throughout the story and it would seem convincing to nearly everyone. Only Jacob wasn't everyone. He knew full well that the man in front of him had been trained to lie convincingly, that he could pull a cover story from his a… head if the situation called for it.

'He's hiding something,' the voice at the back of his head muttered.

'I know. Maybe we'll find out when we find Sam.'

'If we find her.'

The inner glare was by now nearly perfect but had, unfortunately, no effect whatsoever on his symbiote. Well, for now he needed to trust Jack. What other choice did he have?

"Did this friend tell you who attacked Sam?"

"No. Just said that she was scared and gave the order to evacuate the ship."

"I don't think it's the Goa'uld. Something is going on with them. The population is decreasing rapidly and so far the Tok'ra have no idea why."

Next to him, he felt Jack shift and his face got a distant look that told Jacob he was pondering something.

"They haven't bothered us lately either."

Jacob nodded absently. Even though he hadn't visited Earth since Sam's death, he had still kept his ears open for every piece of information about his home world. Sometimes he had wanted to go to visit Mark, but the pain of being reminded of Sam and the way she died was still too much to bear. Maybe one day he would've been able to go.

"How's Selmak?"

His face fell at Jack's kind question.

"She's dead."

"But... you're" Jack gestured wildly with his hands and Jacob had to smile in spite of himself.

"Here?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Selmak felt her time was over and left me before she passed. I now carry another Tok'ra."

"You do?"

Jack's voice was truly astonished and Jacob could feel that he was creeped out by the idea as a whole. No news there.

"Yes, I do."

The conversation was over for Jacob. He didn't want to discuss this any further and Jack obviously was perfectly okay with this. The pain of losing Selmak was still fresh and it hurt deeply. Sitting staring into the darkness of space, both men thought about what they might find when they reached their destination.

-----

"We've reached the planet. There's no evidence of a ship in orbit, but Jacob scanned several life forms down there, probably the survivors of the ship. Jacob, Hailey, you're with me. Daniel, Teal'c, stay here until we know what's going on down there. We might need a quick escape. Oh, and watch out for those guys who attacked Carter's ship. They might still be around."

Daniel and Teal'c nodded silently. It was plain to see that both wanted to join them on the planet but, unless they knew for sure what was down there, there was no way he'd allow the whole team to go. He couldn't order Jacob to stay behind and chose Hailey because of her medical skills. 

It had been a standing order for a while that all new SGC personnel were to go through a field medical training. Originally, Fraiser had come up with the idea to make the triage faster and therefore medical treatment more efficient. The success of the idea was self explanatory. Survival rates upped, especially when the SG teams were cut off from the Gate.

On Jack's signal, the rings descended and Jack found himself standing in a clearing, just a couple of steps away from some huts. Even if he'd been blind he'd have known this was a Nicrea settlement. Everything just screamed their name.

"Jack!"

Before he knew what had really happened, he was engulfed by someone. Gently pulling away, he got for the first time a clear view of the woman who had tackled him. Her eyes were already scanning the other people, without a doubt seeking out a certain member of his team.

"Daniel's on the ship." he answered before the question was even asked and she blushed slightly.

"It's good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too, Shmela."

Noticing the worried look on the woman's face, he turned around to his small group.

"Shmela, this is Jacob Carter and Jennifer Hailey. Guys, that's Shmela. She's a good friend of Sam. Speaking of which… where is she?"

The joyful face in front of him fell in a heartbeat and his heart followed.

"We searched for her and Emily, but we couldn't find them. Our ship was attacked on the way to this planet. She had wanted to take a look at some technology that was found here but, strangely enough, the planet doesn't hold a Stargate. She was intrigued and we had a Stargate on board to allow easier access to the planet. We weren't far from this planet when something hit us. The pilot thought it was a meteor, but the Lovarra went to take a look and when she returned she was panicking and ordered immediate evacuation. That's all I know. The last time I saw her, she stood next to Emily in one of the escape pods."

While she told them their story, Shmela had started to walk them through the village to a hut. They reached the door just when she ended and motioned for every one to go inside. Jack allowed Jacob and Hailey to step in before he pulled Shmela slightly aside.

"Emily's safe. I left her two days ago at a secure place. Those two inside don't know who she is and I want it to stay this way. At least for now."

"Thank the stars! I will say nothing."

Shmela hugged Jack once again and he patted her back affectionately. The relief on her face was obvious but Jack didn't miss the worry that mingled with it.

"That means something must have happened. She wouldn't have sent Emily away if everything had been alright."

They were interrupted by Jacob, whose head popped out of the door to see what was keeping them up so long.

As they all retreated into the hut, Jack felt the suspicious eyes of a Carter on him. He felt bad for keeping Jacob in the dark, but the less people who knew about Emily, the better. In addition, it was hard to explain how the girl had come to Earth and he definitely didn't want to go into that with her grandfather. The revelation that Selmak was dead only served to assure him that this was the right way to go. He'd never trusted the Tok'ra, but at least he had liked Selmak. Sam's decision to keep her daughter hidden from the Tok'ra, including her dad, as well as from Earth only helped to fuel his determination.

While Jack sat down at a table, Shmela had already produced a small handheld projector that displayed a 3D image of the planet.

"The red color indicates a region that had already been swept by one of our gliders. Nothing so far."

To Jack's horror, most of the planet was already red.

"Can you display the position where you left the ship?"

Shmela's gray eyes watched Hailey in surprise at her question, but after a glance at Jack, she nodded and the image faded to a small spot.

"This is where we left the ship."

A white line now showed the trail the escape pods took.

"What about that?"

Hailey indicated to a small white dot at the rim of the display, hardly to spot.

"This solar system has two planets and that is the other one."

"You searched there?" Jack now piped up, his interest clearly piqued.

"No. The escape pod would have landed here. This planet was closer."

"Not necessarily. The pod could have been deflected by the planet's atmosphere and crashed on the other."

Jacob nodded to underline Hailey's assessment. It was at least worth a try.

"Is it possible to survive there?"

"The atmosphere is toxic. Still, you could survive two, maybe three days."

Emily's parting words sprang to Jack's mind and he jumped to his feet eagerly. Three days. They were counting the fourth. No point in wasting time.

"That's it. We're going. Who's coming?"

Unsurprisingly Shmela joined their group. As the rings spilled them out inside the ship, she threw herself on a startled Daniel, who only took a moment to kiss her back. 

**

Chapter 9

**

It hurt. Every single breath hurt. Every single movement hurt. Still, she was alive. If the others hadn't found her by now, they wouldn't anytime soon. She just hoped Emily was safe. It had been quite a risk to send her to Earth, but she knew Jack would make sure that nothing happened to her. Her head fell back as breathing became even harder and it met the metal restraints of the escape pod rather harshly.

Those beasts had gained access to the pod, but then had left for some reason. Maybe they had figured out that their ship was far more advanced than the little escape shuttle. Anyway, they had left and the air had drained out through the small gap in the metal hull. Fortunately, the pod had reached the atmosphere of the planet pretty early before the air had completely left the cabin. Unfortunately, her attacker had screwed up the mechanisms of the pod and the door didn't open. She was stuck inside the metal hull, maybe just a couple of inches from her destination and she would never know it.

Even so, she knew it was drawing to an end. Her chest hurt just from the effort of breathing and she had lost a good amount of blood from where her head had impacted with the metal hull upon the crash. Her tongue was glued to her mouth, not having had anything to drink in days. Still, this time, she could face death calmer. The Nicrea had a capable leader and Emily was safe. At least as safe as she could be. Emily being safe with Jack was her last though as darkness claimed her.

-----

The loud sound of metal on wood made her look up in surprise. A fork landed on the table, clinking until it finally came to a halt. All four heads turned to the fifth person on the table, whose eyes were wide in horror.

"NO!" she screamed loudly and her blue eyes clearly showing she was miles away.

"Emily? What is it?"

"Mom."

After Joy nodded at Mike, he herded the kids out while she crouched down next to Emily, who still stared, mesmerized, into space.

"I'm sure your Mom is alright, Emily."

"No. She's not. He'll be late."

The girl looked so lost and Joy's heart went out for her. She didn't need to ask who 'he' was. Johnny hadn't told her much, only that the girl's mom, Sam, was missing and he needed to look for her. She knew only the basics of Johnny's work but she knew enough not to ask too much. In fact, she quit asking questions way back, when he'd first gone away. 

...

  
_  
"You'll take care, won't you Johnny?"_

"Mom, come on. What could happen to me? I just got assigned to a base in Germany. Nothing will happen."

The strangled smile on their mother's face did nothing to ease her worry. Even though she was just 15, she could see how nervous her brother was. Neither could she miss the sincerity in her father's eyes when he had hugged his son.

"Be careful, son."

"I will, Dad."

He walked down the small path of the cabin where they spent all their vacations. Shooting her one last smile, he had fastened his helmet, before he'd started the bike. When the sound of the engine subsided, she felt silence settle. The only thing that disturbed the peace was the chirping of the birds in the trees and the sobbing of her mother with the occasional 'He's gonna be all right' of her father.  
  


...

When her brother had returned, he had changed. She had never asked him where they sent him. It remained an unspoken agreement between them and so she hadn't asked when he'd left this time. 

He had been gone for three days now and Emily had seemed perfectly okay, at least as well as it could get under these circumstances. 

"He won't be late. He'll find her and they'll be back soon."

The girl now rocked back and forth and whimpered while shaking violently. Joy still wondered what had prompted the sudden change in the girl as she cradled her in her arms. She just hoped Johnny would really find her mother.

Suddenly the girl's whimper subsided and Joy held her at arm's lengths so that she could see Emily's face. She looked worried and the dark locks stuck to her wet face, but the terror had passed.

"You okay, Emily?"

"Jack says not to worry and that he's on his way."

A queasy feeling settled in Joy's stomach as she watched a seemingly silent communication. It wasn't the first time during these last three days that Emily spooked her a bit, but she had figured that Emily was just a very sensitive girl and took up other people's moods quite easily. Even so, the latest events started to scare her a bit.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

The soft voice had shaken her out of her inner monologue and she watched the sympathetic blue eyes now focused on her.

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

"How did you..." Her words caught in her throat and still she felt like Emily knew exactly what was going on. The childish blue eyes suddenly seemed so much darker than before. Or maybe she was just going nuts, Joy thought to herself. Johnny would laugh wholeheartedly if he could hear her thoughts right now.

"You looked so sad. I'm sorry I ruined your meal."

An inexplicable relief flooded through Joy. Emily was just very empathic. She must have noticed that her behavior had scared her. By now, Joy nearly felt like laughing over her former thoughts. A smile spread over her face as she hugged the girl tightly.

"No, you didn't ruin anything. I am sorry. You must be worried."

The girl's head nodded frantically.

"I was."

"You were?" Try as she might, Joy couldn't help the shiver that ran over her back at the girl's use of the past tense.

"I was before. Now I know that Jack's nearly there. He said he'll make it and bring her home."

The shiver turned to a full-blown shock complete with goose-bumps as she watched the girl that now beamed brightly at her and picked at some peas.

"Can I go play with Carrie and Matt?"

"Sure."

She watched the girl leave the room while the unsettled feeling in her stomach became nearly nauseous. Emily was singing 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' on her way out and Joy shivered involuntarily at the harmless song.

Something wasn't right about the girl and it gave her the creeps. Even so, Johnny had handed Emily over to her responsibility. No matter what might be going on with the girl, she didn't seem dangerous and her brother would certainly not endanger his own family. For now, she would have to trust her brother's assessment. Maybe this time, when he came back, she'd break the long-standing rule of not-asking.

-----

Shmela had been right. The atmosphere was worse than Netu, its stench biting and its gases burning in his lungs. Still Jack walked on towards the steady beeping on his handheld device.

'How could he see where to go, if you did not twinkle so?'

Next to him, he felt Jacob moving along. Even he seemed distressed by the toxic atmosphere. Dragging themselves along, Jack wished the ship's devices had worked better. They had only been able to determine the general area of the crash, but the transporter rings had landed them about a mile north of their destination. Now he only hoped Sam hadn't gone too far from the pod. Otherwise it would be difficult to find her. 

"There!"

Jacob screamed loudly over the sound of the howling winds that blew constantly in their faces no matter which way they turned. By now, Jack was starting to believe that the planet had something against them.

His eyes followed Jacob's hand and soon, he noticed the blurry outlines of a pod. Speeding up, he ran over to the dark frame and as he came closer, he could see that it was in fact a Goa'uld escape pod.

"The door's closed. The mechanism must be damaged."

"How do we get this open?"

Jack's eyes were fixed on Jacob, who seemed to be engaged in an inner monologue. A soft dipping of the head indicated the change of person and revealed Jacob's new persona.

"I'm Tekal. I may be able to override the pods internal systems without damage to the passenger," the metallic voice informed him. Not that the 'may' in the sentence was unsettling, no really not. It was just that Jack hadn't really any other choice. Blowing up the damn thing with C4 wouldn't help Sam's health either.

"Do it."

The Tok'ra stemmed a bit of metal out of the hull and started working on the inner circuits. Jack was in the meantime knocking on the metal, his voice screaming loudly for her to answer him. When he heard no response from the inside of the pod, not even the beat of something against metal, he clutched tightly to his falling hopes. She would be okay. If only they'd be able to open this damn thing.

'Then the traveler in the dark'

On clue, the metal door slid aside and revealed a very pale Samantha Carter. His hand automatically reached for her neck, feeling for a pulse.

...

_Golden hair mixed with red. She was lying with her face in the dirt, a red pool forming around her._

...

'Not again' his mind screamed. The blood was dried in her hair, but her skin was so pale. Praying to find a pulse, he nearly screamed in relief at finding a weak but steady flutter under his fingers. Jack quickly tossed a communication device into Jacob's hand and bend down to pick her up. She seemed uninjured apart from a nasty gash on her forehead.

"Teal'c? Do you read?" It was again Jacob's voice that was now carried through the wind to Jack. The other man nearly screamed as the wind seemed to have picked up speed again.

"I can hear you, Jacob Carter."

"We found her. Can you locate us on the planet and ring us up?"

Their answer was a sudden bright light that engulfed the three. Seconds later, they materialized inside the ship and were greeted by a worried Daniel.

"I prepped the medical section. She'll need oxygen."

After Jack lowered her on one of the beds and pulled an oxygen mask over her face, Hailey took over. Her quick hands checked Sam for injuries and Jack was thankful that they had been forced to take her along. She was quick in hooking up an IV on Sam.

"Jack?"

Daniel held an oxygen mask in his hands and, for the first time, Jack realized that breathing had indeed become so much heavier. Remembering Shmela's words that the toxic substance was like acid to the lungs, he took the mask from Daniel, shooting him a thankful glance before his eyes returned to the unmoving form on the bed.

"She'll be fine once she wakes up. I don't think it's anything serious. The toxicity of the atmosphere did minor damage to her lungs. She is very dehydrated and she'll be quite hungry when she wakes, but nothing that I can't take care of. Take a rest, Sir."

Determinedly, Hailey made Jack sit down on another Goa'uld mock bed and he noticed that he was in fact very tired. When had been the last time he had slept properly? On the plane from Chicago? He'd made the return via Chicago so that it would look to everyone like he'd just stopped at his father's for a short visit. His dad had promised to take the truck down to Colorado as soon as Jack gave him a call. He had wanted to come down to the Springs for some time but the opportunity had never been right.

On the bed next to him, Hailey checked on Jacob, who seemed to have suffered no consequences from the atmosphere. Now that Sam was back on board, Jacob seemed far more relaxed than he had been before, not that this was surprising. Jack himself felt the exhaustion of the last week catch up with him and his lids suddenly felt like pure iron as he drifted off to sleep.

'We got her. She's gonna be okay.'

'Thank you. I knew you'd bring her back. Sleep well, Jack.'

Nearly asleep, he nodded his head shortly, a smile gracing his face as he mumbled words that sounded surprisingly like 'Night, Emily.'

-----

Soft voices rang through her mind as she struggled through the darkness. Familiar voices that made her feel welcome and warm.

"I think she's coming to."

"Sam? Sam, can you hear me?"

Cracking open one lid, she was blinded by a white light and squeezed it shut again. Only seconds later, she tried again and this time her blurry vision began to clear. Daniel's smiling face swam into her field of vision, soon replaced by Teal'c's. Apparently she wasn't as dead as she thought she was. Her lungs didn't hurt that much anymore and breathing was easier.

She smiled weakly at her friends.

"Hey guys."

Her voice was hoarse and weak and somewhat mumbled. The reason became soon clear as Daniel pointed towards the mask that covered her nose and mouth.

"Try to not talk. The atmosphere down there wasn't very healthy. You were lucky that the door's mechanism didn't open. The air recycling system of the pod absorbed a lot of the toxic air that drained through the crack in the hull."

Pod? Toxic? The words rushed through her head, but she couldn't really connect them to each other. There had been some emergency. She'd left the ship with Emily. Her eyes started to search the room frantically but, instead of her daughter, she found her father, stepping closer to her.

"It's okay, kiddo. I'm here."

Though she was happy to see her father again, her eyes still searched. Daniel obviously seemed to pick up on her quest as he leaned closer to her and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"She is okay. She's on earth with Jack's sister. Jacob doesn't know," he breathed into her ear before pulling back and speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You had us worried, Sam. Don't do that again."

Now much more relaxed, she smiled at the faces. Just one was missing, although Jack was probably flying the ship.

"Jack?"

It was barely a whisper, but Teal'c nonetheless understood her intentions.

"O'Neill is currently resting."

"I sedated him after I was sure you'd be all right. I don't think he realized."

The second voice belonged to a blonde woman that now stepped from behind Daniel and pointed behind her. It took Sam some time to realize that this woman was, in fact, the young cadet they had taken on her first mission through the Stargate. Sam could see from her insignia the once-cadet was now a captain. Behind Hailey, Jack lay stretched on one of the stretcher-like excuses for a bed preferred by Goa'uld ship designers.

"Come on, guys. You've all seen her and she's gonna be alright. Let her rest. You could all do with some rest as well."

Most of the bulk was herded out by the young Captain, only Jacob stayed behind. Sam knew she had a lot of explaining to do. She had deliberately let her own father think that she was dead. Even though she had no idea why the guys had pulled him into this, she was glad that they had.

"Hey, Sammy."

"Dad."

He smiled at her and held her hand for some time. She could see the joy dancing in his eyes and felt even worse for not telling him.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"Don't. We can talk later. You need to sleep now."

As if on command, she felt her lids growing heavier and soon she drifted off to sleep as her father still clung to her hand.

-----

His eyes were fixed on his daughter, now fast asleep on her bed. It had been over seven years since he'd last seen her and she had changed so much. The innocence had fled her face and a rather recent scar ran down her right temple towards her ear and eye.

He didn't notice the woman who appeared from behind before a shadow fell on Sam's face.

"Daniel said she'd woken up."

"She had but I think young Captain Hailey dosed her up with something."

Something about this Shmela didn't sit right with Jacob. Maybe this feeling was also due to Tekal's whisper in his head that they were all hiding something from him.

"So, you're one of Sam's friends?"

"I am, at least I hope that's what she'd say about me."

There was clear respect in the woman's voice and Jacob felt just a tinge of pride swell. Daniel had told him that she was living and fighting among some people who were fighting the Goa'uld, but the tone of the woman's voice made him wonder just what her position within these people was.

"I take it you were Jack's informant?"

"Informant? Oh, yes. I told him."

Even though the woman was clearly a trained liar, she hadn't covered the surprise on her face soon enough.

'Who is it then?'

'I don't know, Tekal. It's not the woman. She was too surprised to see Jack and the response now just underlined it.'

'I agree.'

The silent discussion continued; host and symbiote seeking to find an answer to that question. Maybe Sam could tell him when she was starting to feel better. There were quite a lot of questions he wanted answers to. A groan from the corner made him look up to see Jack sitting up, holding his head.

"Easy, Jack."

Shmela hurried over, her arms reaching to help Jack up, who shrugged off the assistance.

"How is she?"

"She woke up about an hour ago. Captain Hailey thinks she's going to be all right."

"She was awake and you didn't wake me?"

Jack was by now at Sam's side, his face guarded as he watched her.

"You needed to sleep, Jack. When was the last time you'd slept?"

The other man shrugged slightly. Jacob watched Jack cautiously. Jack took little notice, his eyes glued to Sam.

"Ah, I need to go back. See what the others are up to. You'll be okay?"

Shmela's eyes scanned Jack curiously and Jacob wondered, again, what exactly was going on here. He had gotten that cryptic message from Bra'tac and nothing had been fully clear since. He liked the old Jaffa warrior and had been curious why he had invited him. When he'd stepped through the Gate, Bra'tac had told him that he'd received a message from Teal'c, telling him he'd visit soon and asking him to contact Jacob. 

"I'm fine."

Just before Shmela left the room, Sam's lids started to flutter, but the other woman left regardless, a smile gracing her lips.

Jacob squeezed Sam's hand slightly and, soon, her eyes were wide open. For a second, she looked around, looking completely irritated, but she relaxed visibly as her eyes found Jack's. Suddenly, Jacob felt like the fifth wheel and he had no idea why.

The ghost of a smile appeared on her face and she didn't look so pale anymore.

"Hi."

Her hand came up to pull off the mask, but Jack stopped her and held her arm back.

"Leave it on. You want something? Water?"

She nodded and Jack turned away to get her a glass of water.

"Ah, Jacob?"

Daniel's anxiety came through the intercom quite clearly and, reluctantly, Jacob gave Sam's hand one last squeeze, before he answered Daniel. Apparently, there was some kind of emergency in the engine room. Jacob headed out of the room with a bad feeling in his stomach as he left the two behind. Jack was just helping Sam sit up so that she could sip the water he held for her.

As he hurried through the ship, he wondered what kind of emergency could have arisen. They were already in orbit around the planet. Teal'c had returned to the planet to spread the news of their return and Hailey had found herself a spot to rest like he had thought Daniel was doing. Obviously, he hadn't.

The engine room was pitch dark and it took Jacob some time to make out Daniel's outline in the dark.

"What happened here?"

"I... I'm not sure, Jacob. It just… ah… that is… there was a loud sound and the lights went out."

Even in the pitch black, Jacob thought he could see the outlines of a sheepish smile on Daniel's face. He definitely needed some explanations soon.

-----

Sam sat on the bed, her back leaning against Jack's chest. 

"Emily?"

Her voice was still hoarse, probably from the caustic atmosphere that surrounded her for nearly four days. Sam struggled to turn around in his arms and he was able to see her face. His thumb stroke lightly over the red scar that now marred her face and she leaned in a bit, her eyes never leaving his.

"She's okay. Joy, my sister, will watch out for her and no one else knows she's on Earth. The kids had already towed her in when I left."

Sam smiled at him before her head fell back on his chest. He was already feeling for the oxygen mask when she stopped his hand midway. Her fingers dug into his flesh painfully and he looked at her in surprise. When she turned her head, her eyes were pinched with remembered horror.

"Replicators."

The words didn't make sense for him but she was already tired from the little she'd said and her eyes were drifting closed. Emily's words came back to his mind and when he saw the fear in those blue eyes in front of him, he connected the dots.

"That's why you evacuated the ship? Replicators?"

She nodded and settled back against him. They had wondered how long it would take until those bugs finally entered their galaxy. Apparently not as long as they'd hoped. He'd have to talk to the others soon but, for now, he just wanted to stay where he was some minutes longer. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her chest rise heavily as she breathed in.

"Did I hurt you? Sorry."

He loosened his grip but she pulled him close again. When his head sank down on her shoulder, he took in her scent and smiled as he realized that was what she'd been doing earlier when she had breathed that heavily. Back on the planet, he'd thought he'd lost her. Again. He'd been faced with living without her once and what he saw didn't appeal to him. Squeezing his eyes shut against the images, he simply held her close.

"I missed you." he mumbled against her hair and she hoarsely answered.

"Miss you."

They sat together for some minutes until he realized that her breathing had evened out. When he opened his eyes, he found Jacob staring at them. Jack knew that Jacob had sensed that they were hiding something. He could just hope that Jacob thought it was the thing, for lack of better word, he had going with Jake's daughter and not Emily's existence. Even though Jack didn't think that Jacob would harm Emily, he didn't know Tekal and didn't want to make the decision without Sam. Pulling the mask over her mouth and nose again, he lowered her softly and turned around to face Jacob.

By now, Daniel had appeared next to him.

Jack's voice was stark. "She remembers what happened before the ship crashed. Apparently they were attacked by Replicators."

"So they're here?" Daniel was stunned as his eyes settled on Sam again, leaving a confused Jacob next to him.

"What the hell are you two talking about?"

"Yeah, seems like they finally made it. Daniel, go talk to Shmela. See if you can figure out whether the ship is still around and why they chose that particular ship. There must be thousands of others, why not them?"

Daniel was off before Jack had even finished and he was left with an angry father.

"What is going on here?"

"Replicators. They're mechanical bugs designed by a robot as a toy. Thing is, the robot couldn't keep them in control and now they're destroying the Asgard galaxy. The bugs did a pretty decent job there. We pissed them off and now they're on our heels as well. Seems they're here to take revenge."

Jacob's head dipped shortly, signaling that the other driver was now at the wheel.

"We have heard rumors about a new threat, but they had not been confirmed until now. Our spies reported a silent enemy taking out one Goa'uld ship after the other. That is all we know. We thought it was a system lord who had yet to rise. None of our spies on the attacked ships was ever able to talk about what they saw. We lost contact with them the second their ships were attacked."

"Yeah, we noticed it, too. Lately only few Goa'uld have been up to a little fighting every now and then. We thought they might be preparing for a concentrated strike against Earth. Seems we've been wrong."

The Tok'ra studied him for a while and Jack felt uneasy under the exploring eyes. He didn't like this new snake. So far, it hadn't shown up much but it didn't seem to have the slightest sense of humor.

"How can we defeat them?"

Jack watched Tok'ra some seconds, before he turned around to glance at Sam's sleeping form. He trusted her, but he didn't think she'd be able to pull something out of her a… hat… this time.

"As soon as you find out, let us know. I'm sure the Asgard would be very thankful as well."

Jacob's head dipped again and the deadly glare in his eyes was gone instantly. He thought about Jack's words and his eyes landed on Sam as well.

"Basically, you've made these 'replicators' angry but have no idea how to stop them?"

"Roughly."

"So, what? We just lie back and pray for a miracle?"

The question seemed to echo from the walls before they were once again enveloped by silence. Jack didn't answer. His eyes were still fixed on Sam.

**TBC**

A/N: Hmmm... how 'bout... some of these awesome chocolate covered peanuts as treats for this day's feedback? 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Sorry. RL has currently become a pain in the mik'ta. Well, I love it, but it's a bit exhausting, so sorry if the last parts a bit slower coming. 

**Chapter 10**

Four days and they still had no ideas what the replicators had wanted or where they had gone. As Hailey had promised, Sam's condition had improved quickly and the captain had allowed her to travel to the Nicrea settlement. Sam's father had been gone for three days now, trying to find a Stargate to make their travel home easier. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation she knew was inevitable once he came back. How could she explain to him that she'd kept her granddaughter hidden from him? Well, this question was answered easily. She would continue keeping her a secret from him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. She just wasn't comfortable with putting the fate of daughter in the hands of the Tok'ra, especially not now that Selmak was gone. 

"You're thinking too much."

Sam shrugged. "How couldn't I? What else do you know about the replicators?"

She felt Jack sigh behind her, his chest rising heavy with the motion.

"I told you everything. Hailey explained this robot thingy"

"Reese."

"Yeah, whatever. She explained it to you. That's all we know."

Well, what she'd learned from Hailey wasn't much. If that was all information they could get, it would be a pretty short fight. Those new human form replicators seemed to be more advanced than what she'd seen back at the SGC. They were able to regenerate themselves after being shot with a projectile weapon, staff weapons had no effect whatsoever. Even so, there was something more to it. She had felt it when she had seen Jennifer Hailey's eyes after Jack had told her about the Replicators.

"Jack? What happened on that mission with the replicators? I know the basics but there was more. What was it?"

He stiffened behind her and, for a moment, she thought he would turn her down. It surprised her even more when he drew one shuddery breath and then started to speak, his voice so low that she had problems to hear it even though his head rested on her shoulder.

"Four years ago, the Asgard came to us asking for help and offering to help us complete the 303. We went to this planet where the Asgard had developed some time thingy. It was supposed to make some sort of time bubble which would keep the replicators prisoner by delaying time for them until the Asgard could figure out how to stop them permanently. Somehow it didn't work. So we went to this planet to readjust the time thingie. Everything there was made out of replicators."

Jack sighed. "Apparently, in the time that had gone on inside the bubble, the spider critters had created robot people. These human-like replicators… they…. Well, they stick their hand into your head and you feel like dying. They can see everything. Anything you've ever felt or done, they drag it out, kicking and screaming, into the daylight. I... We managed to escape but, to do it, we had to rely on the help of one of them. He was kinda different, more emotional, and Hailey wanted to take him home. I ordered her to set the device on three minutes and not five like we'd told Replicator Boy. They found out and two of them, including Hailey's pet, were able to escape before the device was activated. This is why they're here."

The words unspoken rang louder than the ones she'd heard and she pulled his arms tighter around her.

"Sleep, you need to get well. The Nicrea needs you to be okay."

"I'm feeling better already. I'd love to take a look at the device that Marcol told me about. He said it's unlike anything he's ever seen and I really"

"Ah! Stop it. We'll go there tomorrow, okay? Just two hours. Two. No longer."

Sam smiled and leaned back against him. She could definitely live with this arrangement. He had hardly left her alone, hovered around her like a hawk. If it hadn't been for the war and Emily's absence, this would've been perfect. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him smirking slightly and gave him a questioning look.

"Something Emily said."

The name of her daughter caught her attention and Sam watched him curiously.

"She agrees that you're definitely thinking too much."

"How could she?" Sam's inquiry was interrupted by Daniel's call.

"Jack? Sam?"

His voice came from the outside, but he was soon standing in the hut, breathing heavily. The tone had been alarmed, making the hair on her neck rise although she hadn't heard Daniel in that state in years. Jack tensed up instantly, showing her that her assessment of the situation was right.

"What is it?"

"The."

He was still sucking in each breath like he'd just been saved from drowning and hardly managed to get anything out.

"Device. You. Wanted. Me. To. Look. At."

Sam's eyes went wide as she understood what Daniel was talking about. He meant the very device she'd been talking about with Jack just a couple of minutes ago. From the way Jack shifted behind her, she figured that he'd probably gotten the link as well and was now looking at her slightly annoyed.

"You couldn't leave it, could you?"

"Apparently not. Sorry."

She shot him a smile in apology before turning around to face Daniel again.

"What's with the device?"

"It's an Ancient repository."

For some seconds, the room was filled with silence, Sam and Jack trying to process what they'd just heard and Daniel looking frantically from one to the other.

"One of those head-sucker thingies?"

"Yes Jack. One of those. Only this seems to be built later than the other."

"You mean it could contain knowledge that the other didn't?"

Jack's head spun around to face Sam. Her words had clearly struck a chord and she didn't like the memories that came along with them.

"I'm not sure whether it is still active. It didn't respond to me."

"Daniel, please tell me you didn't put your head in there."

Jack disentangled himself from Sam to confront Daniel, staring at him threateningly.

"Um... well..."

"Oh for cryin' out loud! You did it!"

"Jack?"

"What?"

She didn't wince as he snapped at her. It wasn't her he was angry at. Furthermore she could completely understand his reaction. It was just stupid to stick one's head into this thing, perfectly well aware of what it might do. Nonetheless, she wanted to take a look at it. Now.

Already standing on her feet, she reached out for Jack to steady her. She wasn't entirely safe on her own two feet, but she needed to look at this.

"Help me."

"This can wait till tomorrow." he reminded her, his voice bearing the distinct tone of a command.

"No, it can't. What if that's what the replicators have been here for and not my modification of the engine like we thought? I need to find out whether they got what they wanted."He was getting ready for a fight, she could see that, but, before he even said one word, his face faltered and he silently took her arm to steady her steps.

-----

"You are late!"

"Why did you ask me to attend?"

"You know why."

His eyes searched for the ones of his opponent, but he could not see the face hidden under the black hood.

"Your fleet is nearly destroyed, now you are searching for help."

"Your fleet has been diminished as well. I offer you a pact against the new threat."

"A pact?"

The laughter that escaped from the hidden face sounded hollow and Cronus felt dark anger rising from within him. He did not like this situation. Cronus had always been proud, still he needed Anubis' cooperation during this time of danger. They were dealing with an unknown enemy. No one had ever survived an attack of the new power to tell what he had witnessed. The result was that the most powerful fleets in this galaxy had lost more than half of their ships and Jaffa. Weaker Goa'uld had already been killed. Even though Cronus was proud, he knew that this was not the time to show it. It was his fault that it had come this far.

"To eliminate this waste of life."

"You want my help."

His jaw ground hard as he pressed out the words Anubis wanted to hear, at least the closest it would get to those words.

"I need your help to help yourself."

"You know who the enemy is?"

"For a while there has been a revolution on one of the planets I rule. Within the last years, the revolution spread to other planets, but they were never powerful enough to do any harm. This situation has changed. They have combined their powers with the Tau'ri some time ago. Shortly after that, the attacks started."

He would not admit that it had gotten out of his hands. It had been a shock when Korfreane's spies had made out the shol'va Teal'c, within the Nicrea. He had known that things had gone too far by then and that he should have extinguished the Nicrea from the beginning. Even so, it was one thing to be aware of this and another to admit it. Anubis would not get this satisfaction.

"You want my help in the struggle against the humans? Why would I help you? This is your fault."

"They attack your fleet as well. It should be your interest to extinguish this vermin. The Tau'ri have been a thorn in our side for far too long and we have not heard from the Asgard in years. They will not intervene."

"I will help you."

Cronus tried to hide his relief. Anubis needed no encouragement to be condescending. In his effort, he almost missed Anubis' next words.

"After we have dealt with this little nothing, we must direct our attention to a new development. The petty Jaffa revolution has combined their forces with the Tok'ra. Some days ago a Tok'ra and one of the Jaffa rebels were seen together. This new coalition could become a threat if we do not stop it immediately."

The Tok'ra and the Shol'va? Those were definitely news to Cronus and no good news for that matter.

"After we have dealt with the humans, we will extinguish the others. I know where their leader hides. If she is dead, the whole revolution will fall."

Anubis nodded his head with obvious satisfaction and Cronus could not help the smile that crept over his face as he pictured the day of the triumph when not only those wretched humans and rebels were dead but Anubis also was gone.

"So shall it be."

Having declared his agreement, Anubis left the room and Cronus sent his first prime to escort the rival to the rings.

-----

The block-like structure in front of her was built of a dark, almost black stone. Sam thought it was probably some sort of granite although it was just a guess. Pretty much her only experience with geology was the time she spent with those guys back at the SGC discussing the soil samples she'd always had to bring back. The material was hard, at least. It showed no sign of weathering, all edges as sharp as if they'd just been cut from the stone. Its length seemed to equal its width and height and there was no visible entrance. Just plain walls and a bulge where the small mound of the head piece stuck out. The needle on her hand-held EMF meter hardly rose when she stepped closer.

"It's still active. The energy readings are nearly down to zero, but I think it's just saving resources."

"Stand-by mode?"

She smiled at Jack and nodded her head slightly. The walk had been really exhausting and she knew she ought to rest. Still, this new version of a repository was highly exciting. It was clearly more recent than the one they had already encountered.

...

  
_  
"Sir?"_

_He didn't turn around at the sound of her voice. It was so hard to watch him like that. She knew he'd lost the ability to speak, at least words she would understand, but she couldn't have left without seeing him. Janet wasn't even sure whether he would still be alive by the time Sam and Teal'c made it back._

_"I'll leave now. I just wanted to say goodbye."_

_This time he turned around, his brown eyes scanning her carefully._

_"So... goodbye, Sir. I'll be back soon and bring answers."_

_Something flickered through his eyes before he spun around on his seat, picking up a notepad and scribbling something on it. This was, by now, his only means of communicating in English and when she watched him, hate swelled inside her. She hated what had happened to him and, fairly or unfairly, whoever was responsible for this._

_When he had finished, he held the pad out to her and she smiled at his words._

_"I'm always careful, Sir."_

_He answered her with a sad smile and she started to fiddle nervously with her vest. What could she say to him? There was no way to say what she thought. Not now, not ever._

_"Take care, Sir. I expect you to be here when I return."_

_The smile died on his lips and she turned to leave. She had nearly reached the door when a hand on her wrist held her back. Turning around, she faced him, his brown eyes boring holes into her._

_Finally, he let go of her hand and she left. They didn't need to talk.  
_

...

"It might be a stand-by mode, but I don't know. It doesn't activate. Something is wrong and I've no idea what."

"Hey!"

Jack and Sam had shouted in unison, but Hailey still stepped directly in front of the device and stuck her head into the small opening.

Daniel's voice floated up from where he was crouching in the dirt. "Don't bother, Jen. I've already tried it."

"Scientist! All nuts!"

Jack threw his hands in the air and plopped down on a rock.

"That was crazy and dangerous, Hailey. You shouldn't have done it."

"I was careful, Ma'am."

She had had the same tone in her voice when Sam had met her for the first time and, despite herself, a smile flickered over Sam's face.

"At least we can be pretty sure that the Replicators weren't here." Sam voiced her thoughts. This left the question why the Replicators were so interested in her modified Goa'uld hyperdrive. After all, they already had Asgard ships at their hands which were certainly more advanced. It simply didn't make sense. Sighing, she turned to her other friend, who was mumbling to himself.

"Any luck with the inscriptions, Daniel?"

Daniel looked up. Directly at the foot of the building that held the repository, he had found some inscriptions and was now studying them carefully. Shmela sat at his side, writing what Daniel said down in a notebook.

"Not so far. It would be some help if someone who actually spoke this language would take a look at it."

"Why do I have a language expert on my team if I have to do all the work?"

Jack was already up on his feet and walking over to Daniel. Their banter continued for a while and Sam wondered with a smile how she could have missed them that much. Suddenly the device opened a bit more and Hailey jumped back, her eyes never leaving the opening.

"Okay, look… _carefully_… don't touch. Understood?"

Hailey nodded absently in Jack's direction whose voice had taken on the firm command tone Sam knew only too well. She took a hesitant step closer to the device when a voice made her spin around.

"Sam? What are you doing here? You should be in bed."

"Hi Dad."

In the distance, she could already see the Stargate being erected. Apparently, her dad had been able to locate one. She had given him some coordinates where he might find a suitable Gate.

-----

The dark cylindrical vessel drifted through space. It had taken them longer than anticipated to reach this sector, but time was of no concern. He had seen the concept of time in the humans even though he had not been aware of it before.

'We have located her'

He spun around, his dark locks falling into his face. His brethren had located the object of their desire.

'I hope you will not let me down again, my brethren.'

They had promised him that they had found her once before, but there had been nothing there but a petty ship when he had arrived. Even though time meant nothing to him, he grew tired of this. How many worlds had they destroyed already? He did not count them anymore; their fate could not interest him less. This was something else. He was driven by something that he would deny ever voicing. Revenge. There were only two more things he would see to. First, he would take 'their' home apart, molecule by molecule, to show them that he had the power to do so and they could do nothing. Second, he would find the one thing that could destroy him and, then, the universe would hold nothing able to stop him and his brethren anymore.

Turning around, he walked towards one of the walls of the dark ship, which parted before him as he walked towards it.

"You should know that we have found her."

Black eyes blinked at him and he grinned coldly. He could see horror in them.

"You thought you had hidden her from me."

It was no question. This sentiment was so clear in the dark eyes that he felt the urge to laugh out loud. The tiny gray creature had been surprisingly resilient against the intrusion but even the strongest mind would not have been able to withhold information from him.

"We will take care of her and of your favorite planet. I cannot see why you are so fond of them. Pathetic. Like you."

"You will not succeed."

"Oh, I will. Believe me. Who will keep me from claiming what is mine? You? Your race has abused their bodies until nothing is left. I could kill you with my little finger and you could do nothing but watch."

"I will not be able to stop you."

"Then who? Tell me. Who will stop me? No one. That is your answer. No one."

He narrowed his eyes at the gray form in front of him. Could Asgard smirk? If they could, he might have witnessed just that.

Suddenly an energy flash rushed through him and the ship corrected its course. Something had moved. It had been close to the position where his brethren had believed her to be. How could he have missed this? It was another repository, of this he was sure. He had seen in it the Asgard's mind and in the mind of the one they called O'Neill. If he did not attend to this soon, this situation could get out of hand. Whoever had opened the repository might be able to find out how to use it and could gain the knowledge to destroy him.

When he left the gray alien, he saw another smirk cross its face and anger rose in him. Right now, pinioned, surrounded by the enemy, the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet should be in no position to smirk.

-----

"Why?"

His eyes were fixed on the fireplace of the small hut, but she knew his attention was fixed on her. She was surprised he hadn't asked earlier.

"Dad?"

"Why didn't you call me? I thought you were dead, Sam. Do you know what that means?"

Sam's eyes fell to the ground. She had had time enough to think about her answer to his questions and still she had no idea what she was going to say.

"I... I wish I could tell you. I'm sorry."

"You don't trust me."

It wasn't a question and Sam flinched at the tone of his voice. Cold and lost.

"That's not it. I do trust you. I just..."

She trailed off wondering how to tell him that it was his symbiote she didn't trust. Even if she had supported the alliance with the Tok'ra, it didn't mean that she wasn't aware of the point Jack was always trying to make. No matter how nice the Tok'ra were, they had too often hidden agendas. She didn't say that Earth was any better, but at least those had always been agendas she could figure out.

"You don't trust Tekal."

Jacob had a silent conversation, a sight that still disturbed her slightly. He rubbed his hand over his eyes before turning around to meet her gaze.

"But you trusted them."

"I didn't... They found me. What was I supposed to say to them? Sorry, I'm not your lost friend, I just look like her?"

Her voice rose steadily and toppled over. She had wanted to keep this private, but obviously that wasn't the way it was going to work.

"They lost you because he shot you. Damn it, Sam! You trust the man who shot you, but not your father?"

"Don't say it like that. You weren't there and you have no idea what it was like." She paused just long enough for a breath. "You know what? You're right. I don't trust you, I don't trust Tekal. I would've trusted Selmak. She gave me the father I never had."

Silence fell over the room, the only sound, the crackling fire. Sam was already regretting what she'd said although the words were nothing but the bare truth. The heated discussion had just boiled up feelings that had been too long unvoiced. Suddenly Jacob stood up, his head hanging low as he turned towards the door.

"I'll go."

"No, Dad, wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, Sam. You were right. I've never been much of a father and I'm sorry for that. If you don't trust me now, it's my own fault."

She caught his hand when he started to walk away again.

"Stay. I'll explain. Please, Dad."

He watched her for a long time, simply stood there as if trying to find out whether she was serious. In the end, he nodded shortly and sat down again.

"You know how I came to live with the Nicrea?"

"Daniel told me."

"Good."

Sam took a deep breath as she watched her father carefully. She was taking a leap of faith here she supposed she owed him that.

"What Daniel didn't tell you is why I stayed with the Nicrea. The truth is I couldn't leave, even if I wanted to. I'm bound by a promise I gave the father of my child before he died."

For a long time, he didn't say anything. Didn't even show if he'd understood what she said.

"Dad?"

"You got a child?"

Sam nodded, a smile spreading over her face as she thought about her daughter.

"Her name is Emily. She's six years old and really amazing."

"Where is she now?"

"Where she's safe."

"You don't want to tell me."

Once again, there was the tone of hurt and it was reflected in his eyes.

"Dad, please don't."

"Jack knows, right?"

He didn't understand. If she told him that Emily was on Earth, he would want to know how they'd managed to get her there, one secret Sam wasn't willing to reveal to Tekal, at least not now.

"It's... it's complicated, Dad. You have to forgive him. What happened was as much my fault as his."

Jacob averted his eyes again and stared into the fire.

"You love him."

Three simple words that made Sam nearly fall off her chair.

"That obvious?"

Her father chuckled lightly and faced her, this time his eyes shimmering.

"I may have been away most of your life but you're still my daughter. You look at him like your mother used to look at me, even if I don't like to admit it."

The look in his eyes did something to her and she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. He may not have been there often but it had been unfair to hold it against him. After all, Sam knew only too well what a soldier's life was like. They sat like that some time, her father rubbing soothing circles on her back and she felt like a small child again.

"I'm glad you told me. Think I can meet my granddaughter soon?"

"I'll see what I can do. You'll love her."

"Tell me about her."

Sam settled down at his feet before she started telling Jacob stories about Emily. She told him all those little tidbits of what it was like to watch her walk for the first time and what she looked like when she concentrated really hard. The fire had nearly died down when the two finally called it a night and went to sleep.

-----

Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly. Two days had passed and still they had no idea why the device didn't work. Well, it had opened but, after that initial reaction, there had been nothing. To make things worse, they made him translate all the stuff written on the wall. Apparently Daniel's Ancient wasn't what it should be. The only thing that made it bearable was Teal'c's face as he leaned over the text. They should've never told Daniel that they learned Latin, the closest known language to Ancient, in the time loop.

Murmuring words to himself, he thought about the translation.

'Friendship,' said a voice inside of him.

'How do you know?'

'I just do. Friendship.'

"Of course you do."

Daniel eyed him suspiciously, but Jack just smiled at him weakly.

"Just talking to myself."

Even though he still wasn't entirely sure, he scribbled down the word friendship on the sheet of paper. Daniel was still watching him and he felt uneasy under the stare of his friend.

"I'm going for a walk."

He stepped out of the hut that was serving as Daniel's office. For a moment, he contemplated visiting Carter, Sam, in her 'lab', but she would probably be busy discussing the device with Hailey and Jacob. In the end, he wandered aimlessly around, his mind relaxing from the cramp that had held his brain prisoner. The three moons were already high in the sky when he reached the black block that could hold the means to defeat their enemy. Teal'c had gone to warn Bra'tac, who would in turn inform Earth, Shmela had gone to do the same with the Nicrea. He strongly suspected that Teal'c had just fled from translating the text, if the upward curve of the Jaffa's lips when he had left was anything to go by.

Jack's hand traced lightly over the smooth black surface. Not even the tiniest bit of moss had been able to claim it, even though it had been thousand of years since the construction of the block. He stopped at the mound, a hand reaching out for it only to jump back the next second. Something had moved under his hand. It definitely had.

More carefully this time, he reached out for the device and it opened even further. The only thing running through his mind was that this was absolutely impossible. Three of the smartest people he had ever met had been working nearly 72 hours nonstop, well two had. The third member of that group had been dragged out by her father and her former CO quite regularly.

Finally his legs caught up with his brain and he set off towards the 'lab'. Three pairs of eyes, all of them blue, mustered him when he entered. He had no idea what Sam had told her Dad when they had had their little chat, but the tension between those two had calmed down remarkably and Jacob had since then spent nearly every second with his daughter.

"Something we can help you with, Jack?"

"Don't know, Jacob. Think you can explain why this head-sucker thingy suddenly works?"

"It what?"

"It works, Sam."

He watched amused as Sam's eyes widened, Hailey's following in a heartbeat. If he hadn't known that it was Sam, he might have missed her rushing past him, her image blurred to something indefinable and two other blurs followed soon after. Jack strolled along behind the three people.

When he reached the black block, the three were fussing all over the place.

"News?"

Sam shot him a glare, but he simply smiled back.

"It has opened."

"Ah, I see. News."

This time the whole group glared at him and he sat down on his favorite rock. They were so engulfed that they didn't notice a single thing around them. Suddenly Hailey's head shot up, her eyes searching for Jack.

"Sir, what did you do?"

With a loud sigh Jack got up, cleaning his hands on his pants as he stepped closer to the device.

"Well, I did this."

His hand reached out to brush over the dark stone and the light that fell through the opening started to pulse slightly.

"It reacts to him."

The awe in Hailey's voice was obvious and Sam stared at him like he'd just grown a second head. He definitely didn't like that.

"Jack, go back to that rock."

"Sure, Major."

Shooting Sam a mock glare, he walked back to the rock he'd been sitting on earlier and the light stopped pulsating.

"That's... fascinating."

Hailey was all over the device, holding all kinds of equipment up to it. Something in the night sky started to buzz and they looked irritated towards the black block. Gradually, the buzzing grew louder and Jacob turned around, his eyes fixed on a spot somewhere in the darkness.

"Gliders."

Jack had taken the words out of Jacob's mouth as they watched the dim light in the distance that signified the glider's position.

"How do they know we're here? This planet is supposed to be uninhabited."

"Sam, can we worry about that later."

"Lovarra."

Maarlin was running in their direction, shouting over the noise that now grew louder and louder as the glider approached.

"Six motherships appeared around the Stargate."

"They'll find out about the repository. We can't allow this information to fall into the hands of the enemy."

Jacob was turning around to face Sam and she nodded slightly.

"We've got explosives at the camp. Ask Daniel, he'll give them to you."

-----

Sam watched Maarlin and Jacob run off to get the explosives and then turned to Jack and Hailey.

"We can't waste this opportunity. Maybe this is our only chance to find the means to defeat the Replicators."

"You can't be serious, Sam."

"I am. Jack, they nearly killed Emily and me. If this is going to save her, I'll do it."

"I won't let you do it."

Jack and Sam were so engrossed in keeping an eye on the glider while having their little discussion that neither of them noticed Hailey walking with determined steps towards the device.

"Hailey. Stop."

Jack's eyes had seen what Sam's hadn't and she spun around to see the younger woman sticking her head into the device. Sam held her breath but nothing happened. The glider descended, now nearly over them, and everyone, including Hailey, hid in the brush for cover.

The device didn't work. Sam's eyes wandered over to where Jack was crouched on the ground, obviously talking to himself.

"What I'm the only one? Why?"

Although his conversation continued, she couldn't hear a thing as the glider was now directly above them. They breathed out a mutual sigh of relief when the glider passed and the noise faded in the distance.

"I'll do it."

Jack had snuck next to her and she shook her head in refusal. This wasn't an option. Not him. A voice within her started whispering that he had to, that he was the only one, but she simply refused to listen.

"I won't let you."

"Yes, you will. Sam, I'm the only one who can make this work. Don't ask me why, I just know. Emily is sure of that and I trust her. You saw how this thing reacted to me"

"Jack, stop."

She held her hand out to stop his words and he looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean, 'Emily is sure of that'?"

"She said that I was the only one who could make this work."

"I don't understand."

"Sam, can we do that later?"

The glider's noise returned, stressing the urgency in Jack's voice. All thoughts fled from her mind when he pressed a kiss to her lips, save for the single one to hold fast to him, but he broke away and was over at the black block before she was able to stop him. The metal hands grabbed his head and when they set him free again Hailey and Sam hardly managed to save him from falling to the ground."What happened?"

Jacob had returned and was now watching the scene before him with wide eyes. Sam quickly brushed away the liquid that was forming in her eyes as Hailey explained what had happened here. Jacob simply nodded and moved out with Maarlin to prepare the explosives.

The charges set, they slung Jack's arms around their shoulders and made their way back to the camp, skittering from cover to cover trying to keep hidden.

"Your people already dialed the Gate and we didn't have time to redial. Daniel's holding the door open for us. The timer on the explosives is set on 5 minutes. We've still got 3."

Her dad was breathing hard, the exhaustion of trying to explain and carry Jack simultaneously clearly showing. Sam let out a loud sigh of relief as she saw the Stargate appear and couldn't help but wonder what would await them on the other side.

Jack's knees gave way and she braced herself against the stairs to steady him. Just before they were about to enter the Gate, an explosion ripped through the air and they were thrown into the shimmering blue of the event horizon.

-----

Between Jacob and Sam, they managed to drag Jack through the Stargate. Their exit on the other side was less than controlled, Jacob being torn away from the other two. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted Jack instinctively covering Sam from the debris following behind them. After the Stargate closed and he was positive that everyone was okay, he took a look around.

If the Jaffa surrounding the group that had just exited the Gate was anything to go by, they'd just walked into a trap.

"You're surprisingly hard to kill."

The man that had spoken now stepped through the group, his black hair identifying him as one of Sam's people. The only thing that was different from the Nicrea members he had met so far were the green eyes that scanned the little group. All other Nicrea had gray eyes.

Daniel and the other Nicrea had already been taken prisoner, and Jacob, Sam, and Jack soon followed. The man stepped closer to Sam, his eyes now fixed on her. He took her chin in his hand, directing her face in every direction.

"I expected someone a little more… impressive. After all the things I heard about the Lovarra."

"Funny, you're exactly like I expected you to be. A cruel bastard. What did you do to my people?"

Jacob was a bit disturbed by the sound of her voice. He'd never heard her use such a deadly tone. Her eyes turned a shade darker as she glared at the man.

"Your people? You don't seem to understand, _Lovarra_. You don't have anyone to follow you. I took care of them, now I will take care of you. Bring them to my ship. I want them all alive, for now. Search the planet for the daughter. She has to be close."

They were herded together and rings descended around them, taking them up to a ship where they were thrown into cells. Hailey and Daniel were imprisoned in one cell, Sam in the next and Jack and Jacob in another. The various members of the Nicrea that had been among them had been led to another part of the ship.

"Jack, you okay?"

Jack was crouching on the ground, obviously still suffering from the after effects of his latest stupidity.

"Yeah, peachy. Who was that?"

Jack's eyes turned to Sam in question and Jacob followed his lead.

"Korfreane."

"The chief?"

Daniel's voice echoed the surprise most felt as he tightened his grip on the metal grate that sealed their cells. The grate made Jacob take a look around. The ship was Goa'uld design, but the cells certainly were sub-standard as were many of the things he'd seen as they were escorted to the cells.

Before he had a chance to utter another question, Tekal took over.

"The Tok'ra have already heard of Korfreane. Am I right assuming that the planet was the major stronghold of the Nicrea?"

Sam nodded grimly and Jacob took over once again. He was just about to inquire further when the guards returned, dragging Sam out of her cell despite the steady protest of the other prisoners.

In the end, they all settled back in the cells, watching helplessly for any way of escape but finding none.

"What can we do?"

"Unless you're seeing a way out of here that I'm not seeing, we wait, Daniel. For now, at least."

Jack had regained his strength by now and was looking through the grate at Daniel. Jacob could see some sort of communication taking place and finally Daniel nodded slightly.

A yell echoed through the corridors of the ship, followed closely by several strongly worded curses in Goa'uld, and Jacob was back on his feet in no time, closely followed by Jack, who started pacing the cell nervously. There wasn't really a lot they could do to help her from where they were.

When they finally brought Sam back, she was covered in bruises and bleeding from several nasty cuts. She was hardly conscious and her eyes, unfocused. He was so preoccupied by watching his daughter that he didn't notice his cell being unlocked.

"Tok'ra, you're next."

Two Jaffa grabbed his arms, another three guarding the entrance. Jack looked like he was ready to tear them apart, but Jacob merely shook his head. It wouldn't help anyone if they got themselves killed now and maybe he could find a way out in the meantime.

The door locked with a loud clank and Jacob was dragged away. He barely heard Sam utter "They didn't even ask a question" before he was out in the corridor. Although the golden walls looked like any Goa'uld ship he had encountered so far, it all looked shabby and ragged.

'He's no Goa'uld. He's just a slave like anyone else. Albeit a slave with delusions of grandeur' Tekal reminded him as Jacob was pushed into a bigger room, where Korfreane was sitting, waiting for him.

Of course, Jacob and Tekal had heard of Korfreane before. The man was cruel and mercy was foreign to him. They had just recently found out that he was dealing with the Nicrea. Once he had gathered that piece of information, the pieces had fallen into place. He'd heard the rumors about the new leader of that particular rebellion, but he'd never ever anticipated finding that leader was his daughter. The Tok'ra had briefly considered an alliance with the guerrilla fighters of the Nicrea but, in the end, the council had voted against such an action. It would have put the Tok'ra in a too vulnerable position.

One of the Jaffa slammed his staff weapon in Jacob's knees and he went down, now kneeling before Korfreane, who looked at him with amusement in his cold green eyes.

"I hadn't expected to find you with the Nicrea. I heard rumors about a Tok'ra/Jaffa alliance, but I see this is bigger than we had anticipated. My master will be pleased. Now, Tok'ra, tell me where is your base located?"

Jacob stared at the man with disgust and hatred, his eyes never leaving the green ones until they dropped to the ground and Jacob smiled in triumph. The smile soon twisted into a grimace of pain when something made contact with his neck and every nerve in his body started to scream.

**TBC**

A/N: Today I'll hand out gummybears, cause I love them and I love you so much for reviewing. You always make my days.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 11**

When he stepped through the Stargate, he was surprised at the sight that greeted him. He had left just a day ago and, for a second, he even doubted he was on the right planet. The former green and inviting planet was now coal black. Everything on the planet apart from the Stargate and the visibly damaged black block in the distance had been burned to ashes.

His stomach twisted in fear as he accepted that he was indeed standing on the very planet he had left yesterday. Turning on the spot, he immediately started to punch in the coordinates of Earth. There was no reason for him to stay and he needed to be sure that his friends had returned safely before the attack that must have been launched on the planet.

The blue puddle jumped into life and he pushed the numbers on his GDO and waited some time before stepping through the Stargate. A furious General Hammond awaited him at the foot of the ramp, but there was no sign of his teammates. Behind him, the wormhole disengaged.

"General Hammond." he greeted the bald man.

"Teal'c, what happened and where's the rest of SG-1?"

Teal'c's heart fell at the words of the older man. He had hoped his teammates would have returned to Earth but, apparently, this was not the case.

"I returned to Earth in hope of finding the other members of SG-1. Have they not returned?"

"No, Teal'c. They haven't. We'll continue this in the briefing room."

Teal'c nodded and followed the shorter man upstairs to the briefing room. As soon as they reached the room, the General turned around to face him.

"We tried to contact you but, when you didn't answer, I sent SG-10 after you. They were attacked by natives and forced to leave. I was just about to put together a rescue operation. What happened back there, Teal'c?"

Although he knew that he would have to break a promise, Teal'c also knew that he had no other option. Their behavior had endangered SG-10 and would have endangered other SG teams had he not returned on time. The least he could offer the General was the truth. So he settled for explaining just who was amongst the natives they had met over a year ago and what had led to him now being here.

"You say the planet has been wiped out?"

"There appeared to be nothing left but the Ancient repository and the Stargate."

"I will send a team to the planet to ascertain whether it is safe and to see what they can do about the repository."

"We should also contact the Tok'ra. Jacob Carter was with SG-1 when I left. Maybe they have escaped to a Tok'ra base."

"What about this... Nicrea?"

Teal'c nodded and the General continued.

"Do you know their position?"

"I will attempt to contact them, although I do not know whether I will be successful."

General Hammond sent Teal'c to the infirmary for a post-off-world physical, while he contacted the Tok'ra. When Teal'c returned, the General had already talked to the Tok'ra and informed him of the latest developments.

"They have not heard from Jacob since his last visit two days ago."

"I will show you the coordinates to contact the Nicrea."

"Do it."

The Gate sprang into life again and they tried to send a message through to Jimila but received no answer. In the end, the General agreed to allow Teal'c to lead a team through the Stargate to look for any sign of the Nicrea. Jimila looked no different as it had when Teal'c had left it.

Just a short walk from the Stargate, they found what appeared to be a large settlement of the Nicrea, the small huts the unmistakable sign that the Nicrea had, indeed, been there but the area was deserted. Signs of a battle littered the area. From the evidence, it appeared to Teal'c the battle must have happened after SG-1 and Major Carter had parted over a year ago. Staff weapons had burned the trees and huts. In some places, huts had completely collapsed. Nature had started to claim the territory back.

Even so, they searched the whole settlement and it was nearly a day before Teal'c was ready to turn back, when a movement across the clearing where he was standing alarmed him. His arm shot up into the air, signaling the other SG team members to be quiet while he disappeared into the woods behind him. When he got closer, he could see that it was definitely a person, crouched on the ground. His hand shot out to grab the person's shoulder but, instead, he was yanked forward and found himself on the ground, looking upwards into the business end of a gun.

A smeared face appeared above him, the look on the face turning from rage to surprise and then joy.

"Teal'c?"

"Indeed."

The woman lowered the gun immediately, her arms coming around him and hugging him fiercely.

"They took them, Teal'c and I wasn't able to prevent it."

-----

When she stepped through the Ring, she entered a high gray room. Everything looked cold and foreign and she found herself shifting closer to Teal'c. Despite their rough start, she had learned to like the stoic warrior and had actually found a master in him. During their longs days on Eden, he had taught her the Jaffa way of fighting. Her father had always said not to judge a person, had you not walked a day in his shoes. She had found this motto useful and had adapted it to many aspects of her life. It even fit for war. You couldn't think like your enemy when you didn't know him.

Teal'c had appreciated her way of thinking and had taught her how to fight, live, and meditate. She had been an eager pupil, and the fact that she had been able to throw him to the ground earlier was testament to her skills, but still she felt safer when she was close to Teal'c.

A bald man stood at the bottom of a metal ramp that let away from the Ring. Unlike the other planets she had been to, the Ring here was obviously placed inside a building.

"You must be Shmela. I am General Hammond."

Straightening her shoulders, she walked towards the man. She had heard about the man they called Hammond and knew he was their leader. As she would have done with any leader, she bowed her head slightly in a display of respect when she stood in front of him.

"I am indeed Shmela. I am honored to meet you, General Hammond. Your people speak well about you."

She was surprised to find a shadow cross the man's face.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same about you. Shmela, please accompany Teal'c to our infirmary. We will meet afterwards and discuss everything."

Though Shmela was eager to go back, she nodded and followed Teal'c through the alien corridors. Their walk seemed endless and, by the time they finally reached their destination, she was pretty sure that she had never seen any building as big as this, not even the biggest Goa'uld fortress.

A woman stood just inside the room, studying them.

"Doctor Brightman."

"Teal'c. Have a seat. This is Shmela?" Teal'c inclined his head. "Hello, I'm Doctor Brightman. Please sit down on the bed."

Following Teal'c to a bed, she sat down and watched Doctor Brightman on her way through the room. The title reminded her of Daniel and she wondered why she would need someone to translate. Instead of translating, the woman walked around her, strange covers on her hands, and started to massage her neck. If Teal'c had not shown her that she didn't need to worry, the woman would have been dead by now.

"This is the standard procedure. I'll run a couple of test. Everyone here has to go through them."

The woman waved one hand in the direction of the team that had accompanied Teal'c and was now sitting on some beds in another part of the room, running through a similar procedure. Apparently there was nothing she could do at the moment but to cooperate. Even so, she nearly hit the doctor when she stuck a needle into her arm. Had it not been for Teal'c's repeated intervention, Dr. Brightman would probably have been sporting a broken nose by the end of the examination.

Sitting down at a large table with view of the Ring, she still rubbed the spot where the needle had pierced her skin. The recent penetration had boiled up the other, healed wounds, making them hurt again. She could nearly smell the odors of her cell in Korfreane's fortress, back on her home world where she had been held prisoner about a year ago.

...

  
_  
The stick on her neck left and she wasn't able to suppress a slight sigh of relief. Through the swollen lids that graced her face, she watched the cool green eyes resting on her. He hadn't asked her one damned question. He simply enjoyed seeing her suffering._

_Suddenly he leaned forward, the grin on his face spreading._

_"Your friends will come for you."_

_"No, they won't. They're not that stupid."_

_"Oh, believe me, they're already on their way. This bitch you call your leader seems to be very fond of you. What is it that you do for her? Do you keep her warm in the night, is it that? I'm sure I could enjoy this as well."_

_He laughed at her face and gripped her jaw hard, yanking her closer to him. His lips were pressed to hers and he forced her mouth open. Well, he certainly wasn't prepared for her welcome. The taste of blood filled her mouth when she bit down hard and he withdrew soon, getting his tongue stretched and scraped even more in the process. A scream filled the air and she felt satisfaction run through her._

_Spitting the blood on his feet, she smiled sweetly at him._

_"One day, I'll kill you. Hear me? I will be dancing on the streets with your head in my hands."_

_The normally cold eyes were now filled with anger when he looked at her, the green turning a darker shade as he took the staff weapon from one of his Jaffa and rammed it hard into her knee._

_"Show her my latest invention. I'm sure she will be pleased."_

_Her head was torn back and a long needle was injected into her neck. The substance only took some seconds to spread in her system. She suddenly felt like she would burn from inside, sweat covering her in a matter of seconds. Every bit of skin on her body started to itch and she scratched, tearing her skin apart in the process. His hollow laughter filled once again the room as he watched her._

_"She likes it. When the effect lessens, give her a new shot."_

_With that, he left the room and she was tossed back into her cell where she continued to tear at her own skin, her nails turning into deadly claws._

...

It had been four days before they had freed her from that prison. Four days during which she had learned to hate needles and she could feel her skin starting to itch just at the mere thought. Fortunately the skin-tight coverall the medics had put her in had worked and she had been back to normal after two months, her skin fully healed without even a scar showing.

"You're sure this Korfreane has SG-1 and Major Carter."

"Absolutely, General Hammond. Soon after my return to our current stronghold, Serala, we were attacked by Korfreane's fleet. He must have had a spy within our own ranks. We've had problems with spies in the past, but thought we had now finally gotten ahead of them. We had to leave Jimila, the planet Teal'c found me on, because our position had been compromised by a spy shortly after SG-1 had left. So, when we were attacked on Serala, Cralen, my brother, and I were able to escape, but they found Cralen. They killed most members of the Nicrea. Cralen had been the leader in the Lovarra's absence. They allowed him to live."

She swallowed against the images that flooded her mind and it took her some seconds before she was able to continue.

"Orden, one of our most trusted council members had betrayed us. He stood next to Korfreane, watching everyone get slaughtered. I was able to take out a few Jaffa, but there were too many. Finally Korfreane and his troops turned to leave. The activating ring took them by surprise and I watched several members of the Nicrea, then Jacob, Jack, Jennifer, Daniel and the Lovarra walking into a trap. There was nothing I could do. I wanted to try to make contact with Teal'c or with Earth, but I realized that I didn't even know the coordinates. So, in the end I returned to our former home Jimila, for lack of a better destination. I hoped that I would be able to contact our members on other planets and form a strike to free my people, but none of the hideouts answered my calls."

Her voice died away and she felt Teal'c shifting closer to her, offering her silent comfort which she eagerly accepted.

-----

The door to the mess hall was pushed open and Welan was about to jump to his feet when he saw his old friend walking in. What stopped him was the woman that entered after Teal'c. They were obviously deep in discussion and he didn't want to disturb them. It was a rare sight to see someone who seldom dropped a word chatting.

Welan watched the two making their way to help themselves to their meal and then sitting down at the table next to him. His old friend and savior hadn't even noticed him. Something about the woman intrigued Welan and he studied her closer. He couldn't put his finger on it but something about her was strangely familiar. She was clothed in green BDUs, like most SGC personnel. Her long black hair fell down over her shoulders and into her face, effectively revealing it from curious eyes.

Judging from her gestures, she seemed to be pretty enraged about something and Welan scooted a bit closer until he was able to hear what the woman was talking about.

"He can't keep me here. If he doesn't want to save them, I'll do this on my own. This is my family out there; it probably doesn't mean much to him, but they're everything I have."

"General Hammond has never said that he will not authorize a rescue mission once we have gathered enough information."

"Teal'c, I know what they're going through there. He'll torture them, until they only wish to die. I've been there. I won't allow him to take my sister, if not by blood, then by mind, and my brother. Cralen is the last of my blood family left. I know how Korfreane's fortresses are built. I would be able to slip in. Just help me to get through the Ring."

Cralen? Korfreane? Pictures popped up in Welan's mind and his eyes widened when he looked at the woman. He had been only a boy back then, but he still remembered. Korfreane, the son of the Chief. Uncle Cralen, the man who had spent hours teaching him to whistle like the birds. This was impossible. Cralen was dead. He'd seen him dying, had he not?

...

  
_  
The world around him exploded and Welan crouched into the small niche his father had pushed him into. Debris was falling off the roof above him and he used his arms to shield himself from the stones. The door was only an arm's length away and when he was sure the stone shower had lessened he opened the wooden door enough to allow him to peek through._

_Outside, he saw his family surrounded by Jaffa. His father, grandfather, grandmother and sister were pushed to the ground in front of a dais. A Jaffa was standing there, smiling at them and then lowering his hand. The second the hand descended his family dropped dead to the ground and Welan bit his lip until it drew blood to keep him from screaming in horror._

_He watched as the Jaffa kicked his younger sister and left the place. Absently he noticed the tears that now streamed down his face. When the attack had started, his father had tried to hide his children, but the Jaffa had found her. It was only Welan left. The scream that ripped the air also ripped through his mind. The voice was unmistakably his mother's, screaming at the top of her lungs, kicking while his uncle tried to hold and calm her. His mother and uncle had been in another part of town and obviously returned when the attacks began. Now they were standing in the middle of their dead family, his mother struggling to be released from her brother._

_Welan was already on his feet and rushing towards them when he noticed the Jaffa that had been alarmed by his mother's screams. His mother and uncle stared at him with wide eyes, both screaming one word._

_"Run!"_

_He stood there, frozen, unable to do something. Just then, the Jaffa reached the place and Welan's legs caught up with his brain. He turned around, desperately trying to look back to see whether his mother and uncle were following. But they weren't following. The last thing he saw before he turned the corner was both of them being pushed to the ground._

_Without any orientation, he stumbled blindly through the woods, where some days later he was picked up by Teal'c and SG-2.  
_

...

"It is not only your family missing. All members of my blood family are dead, but I have always considered O'Neill and Daniel Jackson to be brothers, as I consider Major Carter and Captain Hailey sisters. We have fought many battles together and I will do everything to free them, Shmela."

The last word confirmed it and the spoon Welan had clutched to fell to the ground, giving a loud metal sound when it connected with the concrete. Teal'c and Shmela turned around, their eyes now resting on him.

"Would you like to join us for your meal?" Teal'c asked politely, although his tone made clear that he'd rather not. For Welan, everything turned blank when he saw gray eyes boring into him, something close to recognition shimmering in her eyes. She had already realized that she knew him, now she was trying to fit the pieces back into the puzzle, her eyes roaming him thoroughly.

Welan cut her musing short when he uttered the one word he'd never thought he'd hear himself say.

"Mother?"

The gray eyes immediately widened and he saw that she'd understood. Her lips started to tremble and her hand shot up as if to stop their shivering.

"Welan?"

He nodded and was soon engulfed by the arms he'd thought he lost so long ago.

-----

"What I'm saying, Sir, is that no one back on Kasmuu knows me. I still know my way through the town as well as every short cut. Mother will teach me the way into the palace. Please, Sir. This is the best plan we have at the moment."

General Hammond regarded the young airman carefully. He was the youngest airman, the youngest employee, at the SGC, having just turned 19. He'd done a desk job until now, filing away the various items the SG teams returned with. This was not the mission Hammond wanted to send someone like him on but he couldn't deny the reality of their lack of other options.

He saw the fire burning behind the airman's eyes, knowing full well what the driving force behind this proposal was. When Teal'c had returned with the boy over seven years ago, Welan hadn't wanted to go back. George still remembered the day like it was yesterday. The young boy kneeling in front of him, promising him to do everything he wanted him to if he was allowed asylum. Major McKinley had adopted the boy and, ever since then, Welan had done everything he could to join the Stargate program. The academy had been out of question, years of alien education, or, rather, lack thereof, taking its toll on the kid's grades. Still, he had fought hard to be assigned to the SGC and Hammond admired the strength that Welan had displayed, a sentiment that was now prominent in the gray eyes.

Shmela had already pointed out that Korfreane knew her and her face was probably well known among the guards, but without someone who actually knew the layout of the city any rescue would be futile. Thinking about the situation, Hammond's eyes finally settled on Welan.

"Airman, you have no experience in the field or with Gate travel. You don't know what to expect once you're there."

"Sir, I can do this. I've trained with Teal'c since I was twelve. I can do this."

A quick glance at Teal'c confirmed this information and Hammond sighed deeply. The President wouldn't like this and neither did Hammond.

**Chapter 12**

"Sam, come on! You've got to stay awake."

She leaned against the grate, while Jack reached through it to shake her slightly. At least she had stopped scratching her skin off. He'd hardly been able to restrain her. Even though she looked dead tired, he couldn't allow her to sleep now. Her head showed a nasty lump, whose origin he could pretty much guess, and the chance of her having a concussion was just too big. Behind him, he heard Jacob groan on the cold stone floor of their new prison in Korfreane's fortress, though the cells were nearly identical to the ones on the ship.

They had brought him back four hours ago but, until now, he hadn't moved.

"Hey, Sam. See? Dad's awake."

Jack shot Daniel a pleading look and Daniel immediately started questioning her, accompanied by Hailey. Both did their best to keep her talking while Jack checked on Jacob.

The older man tried to get up but sagged to the ground again, his hands clutching his head firmly.

"Easy, Jacob."

Leaning over Jacob, he quickly checked him for any injuries that he might not have noticed while he was unconscious even though Jack knew perfectly well that Jacob's symbiote probably had healed him already.

"I don't know what it is they injected us with but even Tekal isn't unaffected by it. I feel like my head is about to explode." With a look to his side, he added, "How's Sam?"

"She stopped clawing her skin off, but they'll be back for her soon, I'm sure. What did they want, Jacob?"

"The usual stuff. Tok'ra base location. Hideouts. Codes. I don't think the questions… or the answers even… are really important, as long as he can watch someone being tortured."

Jack nodded solemnly, his own body still hurting from yesterday's ordeal. They'd been in the hands of Korfreane for three days, in his fortress only one, but they'd taken each member of the SGC just once, Jacob twice, and Sam at least three times a day. It was plain to see who Korfreane was really after.

"She won't make it much longer, Jack. We've got to find a way out."

"I know. Any ideas?"

He watched Jacob shaking his head, before the man tried to sit up again. Jacob swayed for a second, but seemed to get a grip quickly.

"How's the fron?" Jack asked, pointing towards Jacob's head. He hadn't even noticed the silence that suddenly filled the room. Daniel and Hailey had stopped talking to Sam and now looked at him with wide eyes.

"How's my what?"

Hardly concealing the rolling of his eyes, Jack eyed Jacob, surprised.

"Your fron? The thing on your neck between your shoulders? You know."

Once again, the room was filled with silence but, this time, Jack noticed his words. Looking at Daniel, he saw the truth in the blue eyes.

"It started."

His friend merely nodded while Jack walked over to Sam who was about to drift off to sleep, shaking her shoulder lightly.

"You know, Sam,"he said conversationally, "I still don't get the apple and worm thing."

"Not now, Jack. Let me sleep."

"Nope. Not gonna happen."

Despite his efforts, her eyes drifted shut and he was torn in two what to do. She badly needed sleep, had hardly gotten any throughout the last few days, but there was still the possibility of a concussion.

"Sam."

Her eyes had closed and she didn't react to him.

"Sam!"

Still, it didn't seem to work. Her breathing had already started to even out and Jack got a bit worried. Reaching for the last straw, he shook her shoulder more roughly before calling her.

"Carter!"

Her eyes shot open and she looked around frantically, muttering, "Sir?"

Had the situation been different, he would've laughed at that but, instead, his eyes were on the guards that had just walked through the doors and unerringly found their way to her cell, pulling her out.

No matter how much he screamed, they never took him instead.

-----

"No, Mike. No!"

Carrie's scream was in vain as Mike dropped her seconds later in the pool. Water splashed all around her and Emily dove in behind the other girl. The cold water helped to clear her head and to distinguish between her feelings and others. Jack had told her to act 'normal' and, during the time she had stayed with Joy and her family, Emily had tried hard to behave like Matt and Carrie.

There had been the occasional lapse but she had managed. During the last few days, though, it had been harder than ever. The feelings of her mother and Jack nearly drowned everything else around her. Even though Emily had learned how to distance herself when someone close to her suffered, she still felt it. It wasn't as strong as it had been when she was smaller. Back then, she had started to cry every time her mother cut her finger with a knife. By now, she hardly felt anything, at least physically, when her mother was in pain but that didn't mean it didn't hurt her.

'Sam, don't. Come on. Wake up.'

She was pretty sure that Jack tried to suppress it, but she heard him loud and clear anyway. During the last three days, she had felt his strength growing as the memory took over. They now had a connection 24 hours a day, where he had only been able to hold one for a couple of minutes before. Even so, it wasn't only him that had changed throughout the last three days. Since he had downloaded the knowledge, something had happened to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It seemed like her abilities were increasing in strength daily and the thought scared her.

'You know what to do, Jack. You can do it.'

The words had simply flooded into her mind and she had no idea where they came from or what they meant. As if on autopilot, she headed for the ladders. Carrie shot her a disapproving glare as Emily climbed out of the pool, toweling herself off and sitting down at one of the trees in the back of the garden where the forest began.

'What? What are you talking about?'

'You know, Jack. You've seen Ayiana. You can do it.'

'I can't.'

'Yes, you can. Concentrate.'

She could feel his hesitation and steeled herself for helping him. He had been right. He still wasn't strong enough to do it on his own, but he could do it with her help. Jack wouldn't even know and would start to believe in these special abilities of him.

Suddenly the picture of her mother lying on a stone floor popped up in her head and Emily swallowed hard against it. She knew she was looking though Jack's eyes and she saw herself reaching out for her. The hands stilled above her mother's stomach and Emily felt something starting to flow within her. Warmth spread through her body and the vision of pain on her mother's face evened out. Then the world turned black around her.

-----

"Jack, you okay?"

"Yeah."

Jack still swayed a bit and felt dizzy, but his eyes were firmly fixed on the person behind the grate that now sat up, her blue eyes watching him surprised.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know, Jacob."

Jacob had Jack's shoulder in a firm grip; he possibly thought that Jack would pass out.

"That's the same thing Ayiana did. Remember, the Ancient woman? That has to be it. Your brain must have adapted to the Ancient knowledge far better than last time."

Although Daniel was still rambling on about how wonderful this all was, Jack had already zoomed him out, his thoughts narrowing down on one thing. When Daniel had mentioned Ayiana, Jack had realized that there was something missing, a presence at the back of his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he got no response.

Through the grate, his eyes found Sam's and he knew that she'd kill him if something had happened to Emily. The worry must have shown because her eyes never left him, her brows furrowed in a questioning expression. He shook his head slightly, showing her that it was nothing. His gaze wondered over Daniel, Hailey, Jacob and Sam and he knew for sure that they had to get out soon. Sam wouldn't be able to withstand any longer, even though she was okay for now.

When his eyes fell on the metal grate, like they had for at least a thousand times since their imprisonment, something clicked inside his head. It was like someone had switched an autopilot on and he moved to the door without knowing why.

"Jack, where are you going?"

"Don't know, Sam."

She quickly climbed to her feet, following him on her side of the grate, now obviously worried. His hand reached out for the cold metal lock and he gripped it tightly. He quickly shot Sam an encouraging smile and a slight shrug to let her know that he was just as clueless as to what he planned on doing. The coldness and pain that crept through his arm took him by surprise and he let out a yelp that had Jacob next to him a second later.

His fingers were burning and then turned numb, all blood draining from them.

"Jacob, on my mark, try to break through the door."

The other man nodded and Jack turned toward the door again, his neck now starting to get cold as well. Small white clouds steamed from his hand when he slowly withdrew it, now stiff and cold. Once he was done, he nodded at Jacob who threw himself against the door. The seldom-heard sound of metal breaking filled the room and Jacob stood in the corridor while Jack sagged to the ground.

His hand was starting to warm up again, but he couldn't stay on his feet for everything in the world, any world. Jacob touched the lock, but he pulled his hand immediately with a curse.

"It's ice cold!"

"Whatever he did, he can't do it again. Go get the keys, Dad."

Jack shot Sam a glare, the impact of which was somewhat dampened by his current position on the floor. Nonetheless, Jacob quickly made his way to the door and peered through it. Only seconds later, he vanished. Though Jack couldn't hear or see what was going on, he could guess as the Tok'ra returned soon, holding a key and two zats in his hands.

"Let's get out of here."

-----

The first thing she was aware of was a beeping sound somewhere close to her. Someone was holding her hand and she tried to open her eyes but squeezed them shut at the harsh brightness of day. At the second look, she guessed it was already evening, the person holding her hand unfamiliar at first. Soon her memory came back and she knew who the woman with the blond hair and brown eyes was.

"Hey sleepyhead."

"Hi." Her voice sounded strangled, and she added a smile for the woman's comfort.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired."

Joy nodded and shot fleeting glances at the door.

"You want something to drink?"

While Joy helped her sit up and poured a glass of water, Emily was able to take a look around. The room was painted in a bright white. Everything around her was white. Small patches were attached to her body and wires connected her to the beeping machine next to the bed.

"Where am I?"

"Sacred Cross Hospital."

The words didn't help Emily much and she looked at Joy questioningly.

"You don't know what a hospital is?"

"No."

Joy looked at Emily with wonder, but the question on the tip of her tongue was cut short when a man in a white coat entered.

"So, you decided to wake up? Well, then, let's see why you took such a long nap."

Without further ado, the man checked her over, shining a bright light in her eyes and took a long look in her mouth, though Emily had no idea what he could possibly hope to gain by doing that. While Joy was preoccupied with watching this strange man watching her, Emily suddenly remembered what had led to her being in this 'hospital'.

'Jack?'

'Jack?'

She called out for him many times but got no answer. The beeping of the machine got faster and the man looked worriedly at it, and then at Emily.

"It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. See, this is a stethoscope. Have you ever heard your own heart beating?"

Emily didn't want to hear her own heart beating; she wanted to know what had happened to her family. It was way beyond her why the man would think she would want to do something like that. Reasoning with herself that Jack had probably passed out just like her, she calmed down a bit and, in the end, she played along and listened to her heart beating a steady drum, matching the beeping sound of the machine.

"Sounds good to me, Emily. I'll just talk to your aunt for a couple of minutes outside. Here, this is for you."

The man produced some weird round red thing on a stick whose purpose she wouldn't even guess. Straining her ears to hear what was said on the other side of the door, she only caught words that didn't fit in her mind. Nothing wrong physically. Stay overnight. Blood work. Strange results. Second test. Called specialists. Don't worry.

After the man had left the room, Joy came back, watching Emily carefully before sitting down on a chair.

"Don't you like your lollipop?"

It took her some time to understand that Joy was talking about the thing the man had given her and she simply smiled at Joy for lack of a better answer.

"You don't know what a lollipop is."

This time it wasn't a question and Joy leaned closer towards Emily.

"Emily, where are you from?"

"Cananada." Proud of herself for having the answer at hand this quickly, Emily looked at the 'lollipop' in her hand curiously.

"Don't they have lollipops in Cananada?"

"No."

"What about hospitals? Phones? Pools? Hula Hoops?"

"No. How does this lollipop work?"

She was now inspecting the clear wrapping of the lollipop and had shifted all her attention to this one thing.

-----

"Which way?"

"I'm not sure. I've only been able to see a small part of this complex."

"Dammit, Jacob!"

Jack's words were cut short by the sound of an explosion. It took just some small hand signs to make everybody hide behind the columns that lined the corridors of Korfreane's fortress.

Clutching to a staff weapon he had been able to retrieve from a passing guard, Jack waited in the shadows. The sound of hurried steps approached them. No metal clad feet. At least they weren't facing Jaffa, just Korfreane's regular guards. Those guys were easier to deal with. He guessed it were just a couple of them approaching, five at the most. The steps had nearly reached their position and he nodded to Hailey, who crouched across the floor and they both jumped out, weapons drawn. Their backs were covered by the remaining three, who still hovered in the shadows. In the twilight of the corridor, Jack was finally able to see the faces of the 'guards'.

"Dixon? Welan?"

Disbelief was palpable in his voice at uttering the last name and their companions emerged from their hidden positions.

"What are you doing here?"

"We came to save your ass, Colonel. I see you managed alone pretty well."

Dixon said with visible amusement, but Jack was still stunned that Hammond had only sent two people as reinforcement, with one of them being a green airman, barely old enough to wear the uniform. He also wondered, in passing, how Hammond could've known their position.

"What was this explosion?" Sam cut in, snapping Jack out of his mussing.

"There was a force shield around the inner rooms of the fortress. It was DNA bound, allowing only those people whose DNA matched the encoding. We had to blow it up."

While Jack's brain was busy processing the information, he looked askance down the corridor.

"We'll soon have every guard here on our heels. Let's go."

"No."

Closing his eyes, he turned around to face Sam. He should have known that she wouldn't go. He had nearly forgotten about the others but, of course, she hadn't.

"I need to find my people first. We don't leave our people behind."

He winced slightly at the words, although they were spoken without any bitterness, and he nodded.

"Okay, take Daniel and Dixon. I take it you know where the other prisoners might be held captive, Dixon?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Go with Carter. Show her. We'll secure our departure."

With that, he watched the three leave and turned around to Welan.

"You also know the layout of this place, right?"

Welan nodded in confirmation of Jack's guess. There had to be a reason why Hammond would send Welan and, with Welan being born here, it was pretty obvious what the motive behind sending him here could've been.

"Where are Korfreane's quarters?"

"Jack, what are you doing?"

Jacob's voice now held hardly hidden suspicion and Jack was eager to confirm it.

"Jacob, you'll take Hailey and Welan and go on with the plan. I'll take care of Korfreane. She'll never leave until we're rid of him."

If Jack had ever thought that this Jaffa revenge thing was bad, he hadn't known the Sam Carter revenge thing. In some aspects, the time within the Nicrea had made her colder and darker; this was one of them. He had seen it in her eyes when she spoke to Korfreane, back on the planet when they'd been captured.

She would've killed the man then and there if she'd had the chance, a thing the 'old' Sam Carter would never have done. This Sam was a different one, one he had had to get used to. Although she would be mad at him for taking away her chance of revenge, he knew they needed to get out here as soon as possible. He had no idea how many members of the Nicrea were still alive but it would be difficult enough to bring them all out. If he could manage to raise some commotion with the death of the Chief, he was only too willing to risk Sam's wrath.

"Come back, Jack. She needs you."

The words took him by surprise, and he smiled slightly at Jacob.

"Not half as much as I need her. Now, Welan, which way?"

-----

"Thank you, Dad."

She felt the sting of tears rising in her eyes, but swallowed hard against them. Joy knelt down next to her, bringing her face on the same height with Emily's.

"Take care. I'll see you soon."

"Tell, Mike, Matt, and Carrie goodbye from me."

"I will, honey."

Emily saw tears brimming in Joy's eyes as well and went willingly to embrace the woman that she had grown attached to in just a couple of days. When she left, Emily waved after her for some time, before turning around to face the strange man she had been left with. This time, she couldn't even count on Jack to keep her company. It seemed like their connection was gone but, if it had saved her mother's life, it had been worth it.

"So, you're the girl my son is so madly in love with?"

Despite herself, Emily giggled lightly, a blush creeping up her face.

"I'm Paul. Come on, you must be starved."

In fact, Emily was pretty hungry. She hadn't eaten much since her collapse in the garden and the rushed departure from the hospital. Somehow, Joy had known that Emily wasn't from Earth, no matter how hard she had tried to convince the woman that she was from that weird Cananada place.

When Emily had told Joy the truth, she had wrapped everything together and driven directly to this place with the very big houses. On their way out of the hospital, Emily carried by Joy, they passed five people in black suits and Joy turned Emily's head away so they wouldn't be able to see her. Although Emily had no idea why the woman hadn't wanted those men to see her, she understood enough to know that they were dangerous.

"You like pancakes?"

Nodding she sat down at the counter of the man's kitchen. Fortunately she had already found out that she liked pancakes when she had traveled with Jack. He looked a lot like his father.

"Joy said your mom's name is Sam, that right?"

Emily nodded again and dove into the pancakes as soon as they were on the plate. Grinning, Paul sat down across the table.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"Jack said I even talk in my sleep."

"He said so, huh? Did he also say what I should do with you?"

"No. He just told me to stay with Joy."

This time, Paul nodded and looked down at the counter, where his fingers were dancing across the smooth surface. Bringing them up to his head, he ran his fingers through the short hair and stared at her for some time. Emily was completely oblivious to being watched. The stack of pancakes was soon dissolving into thin air and she felt much better.

"Whatever we do, we can't stay here. I'll pack some things, then we'll go. You got everything you need?"

Once again, Emily nodded and watched Paul leave to gather his belongings. Unobserved, she surveyed the room and soon found a picture on the wall. There were four people on the photo and it didn't take Emily long to find out who they were. As she watched the faces of the people, she felt something tickle somewhere in her consciousness. Unsure what it was, she twisted on her chair a bit, looking out of the window at the big houses again. She had never seen a house this big before.

Suddenly the autopilot kicked in again. Her head spun around and the eyes narrowed on the picture, stilling on the face of the boy.

'Hey Jack.'

'Thank God. I was worried. What happened?'

'I passed out and was brought to a hospital.'

She could feel him tense up. He knew where this was going and she realized that he could read her as well as she could read him. He had developed a lot in hardly one day. She had passed out yesterday around noon, they had made their hasty escape from hospital around sunset and now it was early morning, the sun just starting to rise behind the horizon.

'They found out about the Naquadah.'A part of her wondered what she had just said, but the other part, the one that was in control had completely pushed her aside.

'Okay, listen. You're at Paul's, right?'

Her surprise must have been evident, because she could hear him chuckle slightly. The knowledge was taking over far sooner than she had anticipated.

'Tell him to drive to Colorado Springs. Go to Cheyenne Mountain. Ask for General Hammond.'

There was an uncertainty quivering in her mind and she knew it had to come from him. He wasn't comfortable with this arrangement and the thought scared her.

'Emily, no matter how I might feel about this, it's our best bet. Those people who will be after you are very bad. If you're safe anywhere, it's with General Hammond. Sam and I will be there as soon as possible. We're on our way. I bet we'll already be there when you arrive.'

"Come on, Emily. Any place you want to go?"

"Colorado Springs."

Paul's eyes went wide as she walked over to step beside him.

"It's okay. I'll be safe there. Jack said it's okay."

"You just said... ah, never mind."

He waved a hand in the air while walking out of the door, a bag slung over his shoulder.

Soon they were both sitting in Jack's truck and traveled south again. Joy had given her a notebook and colored pens and Emily started to draw first circles, then squares. Without even noticing it, the patterns started to change and become more regular. She wished absently that the car wouldn't shake that much and that she had a ruler, but she got the work done nonetheless. At the end of the day, the first half of pages in the book was covered with neat lines. Numbers and letters were spread all over the pages and the subdued part of her was amazed by her abilities. Finally she fell into an uneasy sleep, laced with shouting and screaming.

-----

He paced nervously behind the window of the room they'd been hiding in for a day now, peeking out from time to time. The streets were filled with people. Chaos had broken loose when the news of Korfreane's death had spread.

"Despite everything I might have said, they need you Sam. The council is dead. Look what's happening out there. They will kill each other if there's no one to guide them."

"I can't be the one they need. Not now. You still don't understand the full meaning of the threat that we face. If I, we, can't stop the Replicators, it won't matter whether our people can survive without guidance. I need to go back to Earth. You'll stay here. You're a great leader, Cralen. I know you can do it. This was your dream before it became mine. You can make it happen but I'm needed back on Earth to find a way to stop the Replicators." "Kruvis."

Sam spun around to face Jack and he knew he'd again spoken in the alien tongue, but there was nothing he could've done about it. He just hoped his impending death would serve another purpose than just speaking a new language.

"Daniel?"

All eyes fell on Daniel, who quickly worked through his memory.

"Kruvis... kruvis... Kruvis! He said you're wrong." Daniel proclaimed and Jack nodded satisfied. He wanted to talk to Hammond first, before he'd allow Sam to come home. There were certain things that needed to be addressed, and he didn't want Sam around for any of them. Sam stood up from where she sat on the chair and walked over to him.

"No, you're wrong, Jack. You might still need me before this is over and even if you don't, I won't leave you alone. Not like this. When you step through the Gate, everything that I want will be on Earth. Don't expect me to stay here. Cralen can manage. Everything I know about leading people, I know from you two. He'll do better than me. You can't stop me."

As if one cue, the radio on Dixon's vest buzzed to life and Teal'c's voice was heard clearly.

"Colonel Dixon, there are villagers approaching the Stargate. They seem hostile and we are by far outnumbered. I am unsure how long we can hold this position."

"Understood, Teal'c. We're on our way."

Originally, they had wanted to wait for night to fall. Despite the mob in the streets, there were still enough guards and Jaffa outside watching for them. Jack took a long look at Sam, before nodding imperceptibly, and motioning for everyone to gather their stuff. It was only minutes before they were out on the street, leaving Cralen with the woman who had helped Dixon and Welan to enter the fortress and had offered them her home to hide in.

Stealthily, they found their way through the streets of Kasmuu and, once they had left the capital, they went straight for the woods where they would be hidden from searching eyes.

Before long, they found themselves at the edge of the clearing that held the Stargate and Jack was reminded of another time they had hidden in these brushes to escape the troops of invading Jaffa. The normally empty space was filled with people. On the steps of the Stargate, they could see Shmela, her hands raised and her voice ringing clearly.

"It was not the Ring that brought evil to you, nor those people. I'm one of you; you know me. I fought among you, for you. I would never lie to you. You have to believe me. Destroying the Ring will bring nothing but pain. There are still members of your families out there, who fought for the right cause. How will they be able to return, if you destroy the Ring?"

Murmurs set in and the weapons, just a second before raised, were lowered. Before Jack had a chance to stop him, Welan had stood up and walked through the crowd towards his mother.

"She is right. Some of you might know me. I'm Welan, son of Polton and Shmela. I've lived among those people for seven years. Believe me, they mean no harm to you. It was one of them who freed us from Korfreane. We should thank them, not dishonor their deeds by destroying their way home. When they found me in the woods, after the Cronus attack, they took care of me and allowed me to stay with them. While I was among them, I learned that they're not aliens to us. They're our long forgotten brothers and sister. Look at these stones."

Welan had stepped down from the Gate and made his way to one of the stones. Flashes of memory sparked in Jack's brain.

...

  
_  
"This is Old English, Jack. Look at it… Ne dearr ic for mines hlāfordes ege. I can't believe it. Maybe Sokar has taken more people through the Stargate than we had estimated."  
_  


…

"You all know this language. It is the tongue of our grandfathers. It is also the tongue of the grandfathers of these people. We are related to them, by blood and mind."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the last weapon fall to the ground and Teal'c relaxed visibly. He'd stood behind Shmela, his stance showing that he'd do everything he needed to protect her.

Slowly, the gathering started to dissolve and soon there were just few natives and the SGC personnel standing at the Gate. Getting up from their position, Daniel hurried over to Shmela while Sam started to punch in Earth's coordinates.

Soon after, they said goodbye to Shmela who wanted to stay on Kasmuu and help her brother. Only seconds later, they were all standing on the metal ramp that signified home.

**TBC**

**A/N:** Let me think... how 'bout cake? I could bake you cake. Deal? Cake for review? Oh, and Sola, sorry, you put your money on the wrong horse. My 'great' was meant as 'whohoo, it worked'. Still, many hugs and love. Hope you're not too disappointed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 13**

Sam's eyes watched him carefully through half-closed lids. He wasn't even aware of her watching him, his face buried behind stacks of paper on which he was scribbling something furiously. Fortunately, they didn't have to explain too many things when they arrived. Hammond had already known the basics and, for now, it seemed he was satisfied with that. She had been arrested upon arrival, nothing that really surprised her, but was set free mere hours later.

She was still wondering what had gotten her out. Maybe the fact that the X-303, the Enterprise – she still wondered who had named her that, had detected a ship of unknown origin two days distant from Earth had been one of the factors. After all, despite her prolonged absence from the SGC, they still seemed to consider her a brilliant scientist. But, currently, the thing that occupied her mind the most was the fact that she still hadn't seen Emily. Jack seemed confident about his sister's abilities to watch over her, but Sam didn't feel comfortable. Maybe if she could call Jack's sister, talk to Emily…

Something tapped on her knee and she looked up to see Jack poking her with his pen, a pad lying in front of her.

"What I'm thinking? Nothing. Just stuff."

He didn't look convinced but started drawing again. The silence that filled the room was so severe that she nearly jumped when the phone on the wall started to ring. Maybe her father had returned from informing the Tok'ra council of the latest events.

"Carter."

"Ma'am, there's someone at the main exit who wants to see you. General Hammond wants you and Colonel O'Neill to meet him there."

"Tell him we're on our way."

Jack watched her curiously when she hung up the phone and she told him what the airman had just said to her. Somehow, he didn't look surprised.

It felt strange to walk the SGC corridors and to stand in an elevator again. Out of the blue, Jack started to hum a tune and it took her some time to notice he was humming 'Twinkle, twinkle little star'. She had sung the song when Emily was a baby and couldn't sleep. A grin crept across his face when he noticed her strange look but he didn't stop humming, not even when they changed elevators on NORAD level.

Soon they were out of the mountain and, for the first time in years, Sam took a deep breath of Earth air before scanning the area. The figure that was standing at the entrance knocked the breath she'd been so keen on out of her lungs again.

"Mommy!"

"Emily?"

The girl started running and Hammond told the guards to stand down as Emily ran towards her mother and soon was engulfed in her arms.

"Sweetheart! Are you okay?"Sam's fingers checked her daughter of their own accord, as if to assure herself that Emily was truly whole and healthy. She had trusted Jack to keep her safe, but she still had to make sure that Emily was really with her again.

"I'm fine, Mom. Really."

Extricating herself from her mother's embrace, Emily turned towards Jack and threw herself in his arms. He quickly lifted her up and she whispered something into his ear that made him chuckle lightly. It was the first time Sam had seen the two of them together since their departure last year and, if it was possible, they looked even closer. A thousand memories started to pop up in her brain at once.

Jack sitting behind her, suddenly smiling and telling her that Emily also thought she was thinking too much. Jack crouched in the grass before the black block, telling her that her daughter had said he was the only one who could do this. Emily sitting at the table, looking sad and depressed, but suddenly lighting up as if laughing at a joke. Could it be that there was a connection between these events?

"Colonel, Major, care to explain?"

They'd now reached General Hammond and the man who had been with Emily. Although Sam had never seen him before, she had a pretty good guess who he was. The sparkling brown eyes and the face that was so similar to Jack's were a dead giveaway.

"Sir, this is my daughter Emily. It's a long story."

"I bet it is, Major, and I can't wait to hear it. Inside." He glanced pointedly at the tall man who had arrived with Emily. "Although I'm not sure how _far_ inside."

Jack set Sam's daughter on the ground and began scribbling on the pad that he carried with him since he had lost his ability to speak English. He handed it to the General, who read over it quickly.

"What do you mean, he knows?"

"Paul knows that I'm not from around here." Emily said with a glance at the guard, the ease with which she had picked up Jack's words reminding Sam of her former thoughts. The old man's lips twisted to a grin and, even if there had been any doubt about his identity, Sam would have been sure by now.

"Alright, people. Mr. O'Neill, welcome to Stargate Command."General Hammond turned to the guard, "Issue these two visitor's passes, airman, and get them signed in. I think, given the circumstances, we'll go with access to all levels as long as they remain accompanied. Colonel, Major, if you would join me in the briefing room in 15."

-----

"So, you're Sam Carter. My son told me a lot about you."

"He did?"

"Yes, mainly that you were dead."

Paul nearly had to laugh at the sight of her face. Although he had never known what his son did for sure, he was pretty certain that there was more to it than just deep space radar telemetry. His son had never been much of a scientist. Not that he hadn't been smart enough; he certainly was. He'd just always been more of a practical guy, hardly able to sit still for more than two seconds… much to the dismay of his mother. When he had joined the forces, Paul had been sure that Jack would be a good soldier at least in matters regarding the job. He hadn't been too sure about the following orders in command structure part and he would be forever surprised that Jack had ever made it to the rank of a colonel.

"Well, I was. In a way."

"No need to explain, Major. I'm just happy that you're back. It explains a lot."

The change in Jack's attitude hadn't gone unnoticed by his father and Paul had wondered a lot what had caused it.

"Call me Sam. I'm not used to Major anymore."

"Only if you call me Paul. So, what is this Stargate Command?"

She explained to him the basics of this facility and, at first, Paul had felt the urge to laugh out loud. Of course, he'd known that there were aliens out there ever since the attack two years prior. It wasn't the existence of aliens that he thought was laughable but the fact that someone would attempt to pass through a wormhole. The only thing that kept him from laughing was the serious expression on Sam's face.

"Can I see this… Stargate?"

"Sure. I guess we can leave those two alone."

She nodded towards Jack and Emily, who were both crouched over a stack of papers. Part of them Paul recognized as the things Emily had drawn during the drive; the larger sheets he didn't know. It looked suspiciously like schematics and it didn't go unnoticed that, although Jack spoke a really weird language for some reason he had yet to be told, Emily understood him perfectly well. From the face Sam made, Emily was probably the only one who did.

"Jack, Emily, I'll go with Paul; show him around a bit."

When they were out of the room and in the corridor, he noticed Sam's downcast expression.

"Don't worry. Jack has a knack about children and they love him. When he took Charlie to the playground, all kids were soon hanging off him."

Sam looked up at him quizzically for a moment before realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, no, it's not that. I was just... thinking about something."

They had by now reached a room with huge windows and Paul looked down on a metal ring in the center of another room. He guessed he was looking at the Stargate and, even though it looked impressive, he wondered how one could create a wormhole with it. All theories he knew stated that to create a wormhole big enough to allow a human to travel through you'd have to have gigantic metal condensers, but none of the theories used a wormhole to travel distances in space. They were just thought to be a method for time travel.

"I assume this is the Stargate."

"It is. Come on."

Sam led him down some steps into another room, crammed with technical equipment.

"When's the next team due, Sergeant?"

"SG-19 should come in any minute now, Ma'am."

"Great, wait until you see that."

Paul and Sam sat down, Paul's eyes inspecting the equipment in the room quickly. Suddenly, the ring started to spin and the little gizmos attached to it jumped to life. A bubbling blue vortex shot out of the metal and left nothing but a shimmering blue event horizon behind, through which four people soon emerged."That's impossible. The energy that would be needed to create something like this... a wormhole through the galaxy... How does it send matter through to the other device? There is another one, right? There has to be. Must be some kind of receiver that saves the energy structure of the object sent through and that allows its reconstruction on the other side. Otherwise..."

Caught up in his own world of musings and theory spinning, Paul missed Sam's eyes going wide in surprise as she watched him, facts suddenly fitting together.

"Holy Hannah! You're P.J. O'Neill. I never assumed... My brother gave me your book for my seventh birthday. I wanted to be an astronaut and he thought I'd like it. It's such an honor to finally meet you. Your book got me interested in astrophysics. I would never have chosen this path if it hadn't been for you."

She was still rambling on and Paul chuckled lightly. Few people remembered him these days. He had never been an Einstein, had never done much in the fields of research. He had simply written some books to allow his college students easier access to this rather theoretical field of science. Obviously, it worked also for a seven year old and he wondered why his students still failed his tests.

-----

"Jack, your father is P.J. O'Neill!"

He looked at her with his 'And… So?' face and Paul chuckled behind her.

"I bet he knew that."

There was a blush creeping up her face but she refused to allow the embarrassment to wash over her. Of course he would've known that. She was just so excited to finally meet the man who was responsible for her craving to study astrophysics. She had never made the connection between the two O'Neills but, now that she had, she wondered how she could have missed it.

A tugging on her leg brought her back to reality and she looked down on her daughter.

"We're ready. Jack said you'll help us from here on."

"You're ready with what? The thing you two have been drawing?"

"Aetiem."

"He says yes."

"I knew that, honey. He already spoke this language a long time ago."

Sam sighed and watched Jack sadly, the word reminding her once again what was happening with him. Ruffling her daughter's hair, she bowed over the drawings.

"What is this? Looks like schematics of some kind."

Paul joined her and there were soon four heads leaning over the stacks of paper.

"They _are_ schematics. Looks like Jack has done the one half and Emily the other, but I've no idea what they're for."

Jack scribbled something on his pad and pushed it to Sam, who studied it quickly.

"Defeating the Replicators? You mean it's a weapon?"

Instead of answering, he simply looked at Emily who nodded slightly.

"He wants to know whether you can build this in two days."

"I don't know. I mean… I think I can, but I need to look it through."

The PA system disturbed her musings and ordered her to the briefing room. Grabbing the schematics, she started off, Jack in tow. Of course, Emily wasn't far behind him; she hadn't been since they'd met on the surface. Paul followed behind, looking somewhat lost.

Daniel, Hailey, Teal'c, General Hammond, and her father already waited for her to arrive. Her Dad had obviously just returned from the Tok'ra and was probably the reason for this meeting.

"Ah, Major. Good, you brought Colonel O'Neill." Hammond greeted her entry. He looked pointedly at their two other guests and Sam shrugged slightly.

"At the moment, Emily is the only one who properly understands Colonel O'Neill, Sir. No offense, Daniel, but your Ancient seems a bit rusty. I think it would be good to have her here and Mr. O'Neill can help me with some of these," she ruffled the papers in her hand.

Hammond nodded slowly and they all sat down at the table.

"Okay, what have you found out? Jacob?"

"The Tok'ra are certain that the Goa'uld who attacked us on the planet with the repository were Anubis and Cronus. As for the destruction on the planet, the Goa'uld had nothing to do with it. A ship of unknown origin, from what I heard I'd guess Replicators, attacked the fleets of Anubis and Cronus and destroyed them. None of them has been seen ever since; neither have we heard from our agents on board their ships. "

"You mean Cronus and Anubis are dead? How do you know?"

"The Tok'ra had a ship in this system."

Jacob avoided looking in Sam's direction and she dearly wished he would. She had made him promise not to tell anyone of the planet's position.

"When Teal'c and I went to the Tok'ra base to inform them of the threat, they attached a tracking device to the ship. I'm sorry, Sam."

Anger sparked in Sam's eyes but Jacob's gaze conveniently missed her again and wandered over to Emily. It occurred to her that he might by now have figured out who the girl was.

"Doctor Jackson, Captain Hailey?" Hammond's voice cut in, eager to find out more about what they were dealing with.

"Well, we now understand this repository better. It was built at the end of the Ancients' time here. The text states that only friends can use it. Obviously there must have been some downloads of other repositories by mistake, or even purpose, to win a war. To avoid this, they built this failsafe at the rim of the galaxy and took the Stargate away. Only those who knew of it would find it. It was pure luck that Sam's people found it."

"If only 'friends', as you call them, can access the information, why could Colonel O'Neill do it?"

"I think I can answer this question, Sir." Hailey cut in, just as Daniel was about to start again.

"I believe the device recognizes some special element in his body. I'm not sure whether it's in his blood or DNA, but I'm pretty certain it has to be something similar to that. Doctor Jackson's theory that humans are descendants of the Ancients could be right. Maybe there are people still carrying certain genetic sequences derived from them."

Hammond nodded and turned to face Sam.

"Major?" His tone was all business. He certainly hadn't been friendly toward her but she could understand his frustration.

Sam spread the papers she carried on the briefing room table.

"Jack drew these." She kept the information that, in fact, half of the drawings had been made by her daughter to herself.

"They're schematics for a weapon he believes will destroy the Replicators."

Captain Hailey and Jacob craned their necks as they studied the sheets.

"What do you think about this?"

"I can't say for sure but, from what I've seen in the drawings so far, the weapon seems to emit some kind of EM field which…"

"Will it work, Major?" Hammond interrupted curtly.

Sam paused. "I think so, sir. To say for sure, I'd need full access to the base resources and Captain Hailey's help."

"Okay, do it. Dismissed." With that, Hammond left the room.

"Looks like he's pretty angry."

Daniel pointed at the General's stiffly held, departing, back. Sam heard Jack murmur something and Emily started to giggle.

"What did he say?"

"He said, 'Very clever, Danny.'"

Sam smiled at her daughter and at Daniel's pouting. Glancing fondly at the people in the room, she noticed her father's gaze still resting on Emily and her anger at him started to wash away. It wasn't his fault that the Tok'ra had placed the tracking device on his ship. He had been betrayed as well. Looking down on her daughter, she gently urged her to stand up and walk around the table with her.

"Emily, I want you to meet your grandpa, my dad."

-----

"I know this. Jack created it the last time he... was like this. It's an extremely powerful generator designed to boost the energy to the gate."

Paul nodded as his eyes followed the two women that were buzzing around the lab, gathering bits and pieces of seemingly each technology available. By now, the pile of metal and wire was quite astounding. It was nearly done. Most of the weapon was ready, except for the energy source and some screws here and there. The rest of SG-1 and the Carters had left to find some cake, or at least that was what Emily had told him, and he had stayed behind with the two scientists to rig together this thing that his son and a six-year-old girl had come up with.

He still had no idea what exactly had happened to Jack, but the look on Sam's face when she thought no one was watching her told him more than he wanted to know. It was bad. She always pulled herself together quickly but Paul had no problem seeing through this facade. Certainly Jack seemed fully aware of how this was affecting her. Like father, like son, he supposed. He could see why Jack might have feelings for her.

He glanced at the device again and then back at Sam.

He still remembered when he'd heard her name for the first time like it was yesterday. It had been on the day of Mary's funeral, nearly two years after he had buried his grandson.

...

  
_  
The ringing of the doorbell shook him out of his stupor. He had no idea how much time had passed. He'd put on the black suit and, just as he finished the last buttons of his shirt, his eyes had fallen to their wedding picture on the dresser. Mary had looked so beautiful that day, the smile gracing her face glowing more than any light the photographer might have had. He had reached out for the picture and taken it back to the bed where he had sat down, stroking her lovely face until the bell startled him._

_Paul opened the door to find his son standing outside, snow piling up on his uniform hat. He was surprised that Jack wore his uniform, but more surprised, and definitely not ready, for the look on his face. When he had said goodbye to his son the last time, it had been after Charlie's funeral. They had gotten into a fight over something or another, neither of them willing to back down. He knew for sure that he hadn't called Jack after Mary's death; although he had found himself reaching out for the phone more than once, his damn pride had always held him back. Must have been Joy who had told him, Paul thought, as he watched his son._

_"Dad."_

_"Jack."_

_For some time, they simply stood there facing one another, the snow outside blowing into the house and piling up around Jack's feet. Suddenly, Jack took a step forward and, before Paul knew what had happened, he was being hugged by his son and returning the hug willingly. None of their petty differences were important now._

_"I'm sorry, Dad. I should have been here. I'm so sorry."_

_Jack's voice was muffled, but Paul perfectly understood, holding his son as if he was still five years old and had had a bad dream. A sob broke the silence and Paul realized that he had started to cry. For the first time since her death, he allowed himself to feel the pain._

_His son had stood next to him while they had lowered her coffin and had stayed with him after the funeral. When the last mourners left his home, Jack helped him clean up the mess. Joy had needed to return home but had left him tons of food to reheat as if he was a kid that needed looking after. The men settled down in the living room, beer in hands, watching a hockey game that neither of them really saw._

_"Sara called."_

_"She did?"_

_"Yeah, your mom and her, they called each other every two months or so. Sara said you'd gone back to the Air Force."_

_"Yeah."_

_So, Jack wasn't in the mood for small talk, but when was he ever? Paul couldn't help but notice the change in his son. After Charlie's death, Jack had been a dead man walking. He wouldn't have been surprised to get a call, telling him his son was dead. It was a very Jack-like thing to do. Deal with his own mess, shut everyone out. The man now sitting in the chair, sipping his beer was nothing like that. He looked not happy exactly, but content._

_"Whatcha doing at the Air Force these days?"_

_"Deep Space Radar Telemetry."_

_"You?" His obvious amazement must have rung through clearly because Jack stopped pretending to watch the game and actually turned to face him._

_"Yes, Dad, me."_

_"Hey, it's okay. Just surprises me, is all."_

_Jack's head turned, fixing on the TV again. For some moments there was a silence and, surprisingly enough, Jack started to offer something._

_"It's classified, mostly." There was a long pause as Jack drew on the bottle. "After… well, after, I wasn't myself anymore. The job helped me get over it. My team… my friends helped me get over it."_

_Paul marveled that anyone could get under Jack's skin enough to actually do some good. "Must be a pretty special team."_

_Jack nodded._

_"Tell me 'bout them."_

_"Well, there's Daniel. Doctor Daniel Jackson. He's an archaeologist, speaks more languages than the Air Force has planes, bad allergies, a real geek."_

_For a moment, Jack seemed to zone out, as if focusing on something in the past, a smile tugging at his lips._

_"Daniel always gets himself in trouble. I swear he could manage to get himself hurt in a padded room. Honestly. Then there's... Murray, on the other hand. Career soldier and I don't think I've ever seen a more capable one. He's not from around here and is one of the most solemn people I've ever met. One of the most silent, too. Daniel's making up for that of course."_

_Jack actually chuckled and fell silent again, still smiling. It was a rare occasion to hear such a speech from Jack and Paul didn't think there would be more. He just started to say something, but was then cut short as Jack's voice emerged again._

_"Well, there's also Carter. Sam Carter. Captain Carter. PhD in astrophysics. I'm sure you two would get on just fine, talking endlessly about all this space stuff."_

_His hand waved absently in the air, but Paul's eyes were drawn to his son's. They were suddenly lit by something he hadn't seen for a very long time; in fact, something he had missed since about two years after Jack's marriage. When he'd met Sara, Jack had looked just like that but, somewhere along the way, the fire had died. Those two had still been great together, and would probably have tried to make it work if it hadn't been for Charlie, but the spark was gone before their son's death._

_"Carter's very smart, one of the smartest people I know, including you and Mom."_

_The brown eyes suddenly closed and Paul realized what Jack had said. He'd spoken of his mother in the present tense, something Paul himself did quite regularly. It would take time to get used to the fact that she wasn't around any longer._

_"I'm glad you've got good friends, Jack. There are only three things important in life: Love, family, and friends."_

_It was a mantra he had repeated over and over again while his kids grew up and despite how unfitting it might have seemed to Jack, he just felt the need to reiterate, maybe more for himself than for Jack. Surprisingly, Jack just nodded, now a sad smile on his face._

_"Guess we both forgot, huh?"_

_Paul nodded as an answer and they turned to watch the hockey match again.  
_

...

After Mary's death, they had been closer than ever before. He'd soon found out that Sam Carter was in fact a woman, a thing that had him worried for some time, and under Jack's command. This didn't help the fact that Jack lit up every time he mentioned her, which was quite often. He'd met Daniel and Murray before, when they had been up at the cabin, but never Sam Carter. Then, one day, he had opened the door and found his son outside, sitting on the steps, head in hands.

Of course, Jack had done it again, had tried to shut him out, but this time Paul had been persistent, had called him and talked to him despite the fact that Jack never called back or talked much when Paul did get him on the phone. It had changed about a year ago, when Paul picked up the phone to hear his son's voice. He had been worried sick when he hadn't found out one single thing about his son's whereabouts for over four months and Jack had called him to say he was okay and he really had been.

By now, Paul was pretty sure he knew what had caused this change.

"I think that's it. It should work now."

Sam held her breath when she pushed what she figured was the "on"button and the generator lit up.

-----

"Come in, Major."

She stepped into the office a bit hesitantly. Since her arrival on Earth three days prior she hadn't talked to General Hammond in private and she was honestly a bit nervous about this.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

He looked up from a stack of papers he had been reading and waved one hand in the air.

"Close the door and take a seat."

His voice sounded brusque, but his eyes were warmer than she expected when she sat down in one of the chairs in front of the General's desk.

"The weapon is ready?"

"It is, Sir. The Replicator ship is currently still out of range, but we're positive the weapon will be in perfect working order."

"That's good news, Major."

Sam felt General Hammond's eyes bore into her and she shuffled a bit nervously on her seat. The silence in the room lay heavy on her and she had problems holding the stare of the blue eyes.

"Sir, I… permission to speak freely, Sir."

"Granted."

"I want to thank you, Sir. I have no idea how you managed to get me free, but…"

"That wasn't me."

Surprised, Sam looked up. She had automatically assumed it had been him. Jack wasn't in any condition to ask for favors right now, so she had just figured it had to be Hammond.

"You might have to talk to your father about that. I don't know which favors he called in. I just know I got a call from my superior, telling me to set you free. He said you were a valuable asset in our fight to defeat the Replicators."

"Oh."

Her Dad had done that? She had thought he had left right away to inform the Tok'ra council. Hammond was still studying her and she felt even more uncomfortable than before. Sam had never liked it when her dad meddled with her career and, although she knew perfectly well she had to thank him for this time, it still left a stale taste.

"I didn't call you here to talk about that, Sam."

At the use of her given name, Sam's head shot up from where she had looked at her fisted hands. The blue eyes seemed to have softened a bit when her eyes met his.

"I wanted to talk to you about Emily."

She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. They hadn't told anyone on Earth about Emily's special abilities and, as far as SG-1 and she were concerned, Emily had arrived on Earth by ship. A friend of Sam's had brought her to Jack's. Why would the General talk to her about Emily so suddenly?

"I need to ask you this: do you plan on staying here?"

For a moment, she was perplexed. Where was this going? She hadn't thought about what would come after tomorrow. If she had, she would've had to deal with some very unpleasant thoughts and she wasn't ready to cross that bridge just yet.

"I… I don't know, Sir."

"Despite what you all might think, I'm not as out of it as I might appear. I've seen Emily talk to Colonel O'Neill without saying a word. I don't even want to know how she got here in the first place. Do you know how many people are reporting an UFO in one night? There wasn't one single report about any unusual sightings in Colorado Springs on that evening that you claim she arrived. I'm sure you could give me the odds on a UFO landing in the middle of Colorado Springs without anyone noticing."

"Sir, we didn't…"

"I wasn't finished yet, Major. All I'm saying here is that I know why you kept her away from Earth. I probably would have done the same had I been in your position. I just wanted to let you know that, after this is over, you might want to think about the future your daughter has on Earth. If you wanted to say goodbye to your father before he returns to the Tok'ra, I would make sure that you get a private goodbye in the Gateroom. Understood?"

Stiffly, Sam nodded. She understood. The General had just told her, he'd give her a way to get off the planet and take her daughter with her.

"Understood. Thank you, Sir."

"Dismissed."

Rising somewhat shakily, she saluted the General before turning around and heading to the door. Her hand was reaching for the knob when she heard his voice again, warmer this time.

"It's good to have you back, Major."

"It's good to be back, Sir. Thank you," she told him again before leaving the room.

**

Chapter 14

**

Jack watched her through half-closed lids, her daughter snuggled up in his arms. Emily had fallen asleep some time ago and Sam believed Jack had followed suit. They were both curled on the bed of Sam's VIP quarters while Sam sat at the desk, head in hands, probably trying to figure out how the weapon would work.

They had just one more day before the bugs would come knocking at their door and she had refused to leave the lab. Until Jacob and Hailey had thrown Sam and his dad out, that is. Jack was confident that they would have the weapon working in time. How could they not? He understood now why the Replicators were coming. He had known about the Asgards' little reproduction problem for some time now, but the knowledge of their enhanced breeding program was new to him. It seemed as if they'd finally succeeded and what they'd been looking for was, at the moment, drooling on his shirt. The Replicators had the ability to enter a brain and get whatever information they wanted. They would know that the Asgard had found what they were looking for and they would know that Emily had the power to destroy them, even if no one else in this galaxy did.

Which was why the bugs had burned the repository planet to a crisp. They had wanted to make sure that no one would download the knowledge and gain the same knowledge that Emily already possessed. They weren't aware that the bond between Emily and Jack had heightened the abilities of both of them but the bugs knew a threat when they saw one.

Sam sighed softly and brought him out of his thoughts. Her eyes were watching him over the table and he couldn't help but grin slightly.

"You're awake."

He opened his eyes, smiling again, unable to respond in any other way. It was getting harder and harder to write something in English and he knew it wouldn't be long now.

"I need to talk to you." Her eyes quickly fell on Emily and she motioned for the far corner of the room. "Alone."

Extricating himself from Emily, he laid her gently down on the bed and she rolled up in a tiny ball immediately. Walking over to Sam, he wondered how he was supposed to talk to her.

"The Replicators will be here soon. I... What will happen afterwards?"

Her blue eyes were watching him, trying to see into his soul, and the only answer he was able to give was shrugging.

"I don't want to lose you, Jack."

Her voice was strangled as tears welled up in her eyes and he pulled her into his arms quickly. From the moment he had stuck his head inside the repository, he had known that he was bound to die, at least now that the Asgard weren't around to save him.

"What about Emily? This bond between you two, will it affect her?"

Jack hadn't thought about this until now and he glanced at Emily worriedly. She had already once passed out when they tried to save Sam. What would happen if he died? He wanted to tell Sam that everything would be okay, that they'd be all right, but he couldn't. There were still so many things he wanted to say to her.

"Non heos trisot. Ego quama tu."

She didn't understand the words, and he kissed her gently to show her. It wasn't long before he felt her pulling him closer and he complied eagerly. Finally, she broke away from him. She watched him for a brief moment with darkened eyes before whispering, "Your quarters."

When they were about to leave, Sam's eyes fell on Emily and he followed the gaze, writing quick words on his pad.

"You'll know when she wakes up?"

He nodded in confirmation and they vanished to his quarters, both knowing that their first night together might as well be their last and neither willing to let go so soon.

-----

A knock on the door brought him out of his trance and he looked up to see Daniel Jackson entering.

"Hey, Teal'c. Am I disturbing you?"

Teal'c's eyes passed quickly over the candles that lit the room.

"You are not."

Though he had been looking forward to his Kel'no'reem, he could see that something was bothering his young friend. Daniel Jackson was pacing the room, fiddling with various objects and nearly setting himself on fire when his sleeves made close contact with one of the candles' flames. Teal'c did not disturb his friend; he merely allowed him to take his time while he himself put his body into a light state of meditation. Finally, he felt Daniel Jackson pass him and sit down on the ground in front of him.

Although he did not speak a word, Teal'c knew what had brought his friend here. His jaw was tightly set, his shoulders just slightly slumped, a sign of the exhaustion and helplessness that was only too familiar to Teal'c. Worry clouded the blue eyes and Daniel Jackson let out a frustrated sigh as his eyes found Teal'c's.

"This sucks."

"Indeed."

Teal'c need not ask what 'sucked'. It was not easy for them, sitting and waiting for the enemy to come; such a wait was invariably difficult. They both knew that the loss they faced, that of a friend, was inevitable and, although he had lost many friends in battle, this one was different. Teal'c knew that it should make things easier to know that his friend would die sacrificing himself for a good cause, but it did nothing to console him.

He could not imagine how much harder it must be for Daniel Jackson, who was not a warrior. Over the years, Teal'c had seen his friend overcome many obstacles he had thought the younger man could not manage. Perhaps this would be one such situation.

"I wish there was something more we could do."

"We will offer O'Neill our assistance."

Daniel Jackson held his gaze for a second and seemed like he was about to answer, but then merely nodded.

"That we will, Teal'c."

He looked, lost, at the candles in the room and seemed for the first time to really see them.

"You were meditating. I'm sorry, Teal'c. I didn't want to disturb you."

"You did not, Daniel Jackson. Would you like to join me?"

Instead of answering, his friend simply crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Satisfied, Teal'c followed the example. The night before battle, no one wanted to be alone. Especially if it was a fight that you could not win.

-----

The ringing of a phone in the middle of the night was never a good sign and Joy sat bolt upright in bed at the sound, mentally ticking off people who could be calling right now. Reaching over for her phone, she noticed a shadow at the door. Mike had been woken as well, looking worriedly at her when her fingers closed around the speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Joy."

She knew the voice and relief flooded through her. She hadn't heard from him since she had left the girl at his doorstep and she had been worried out of her mind.

"Dad?"

"Yes."

"Thank God! I was so worried when you didn't call."

There was a silence on the other end and she felt an iron hand reaching for her throat, when she heard a soft sob.

"Dad? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Joy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called."

Her father's voice carried an eerie resemblance to its tone when he had told her that her mother had died and Joy tried to suppress the wave of fear and worry, if not for herself, then for Mike whose eyes she felt keenly.

"It's okay. Just tell me what it is."

"It's Jack."

Closing her eyes against the tears that started to rise, she swallowed heavily. Next to her, she felt the bed dipping as Mike sat down.

"How is he?"

"I don't know, Joy; I just don't know. No one here tells me anything, but I don't think… I doubt he'll…"

More sobs reached her and she was out of the bed in no time.

"Are you in the Springs? I'm coming over. I'll take the next plane."

She was already dragging her duffel bag out when her father spoke up again.

"This isn't fair. A man shouldn't see his children die. This isn't fair."

"I'm on my way, Dad. Just try to hang on, okay?"

He was silent for a while in which she stuffed some clothes into the bag, the phone squished between head and shoulder. Shortly after that, she found herself saying goodbye to Mike. He would stay with the kids while she flew to Colorado Springs.

This was the call she had tried to prepare herself for nearly all her life and she guessed all that preparation hadn't really made it any easier. She hardly knew anything about the drive to the airport, wasn't sure how she had gotten there in the first place. The first time she really thought about the situation with a clear head was when the plane took off.

She had no idea where to go once she was in Colorado. All she knew was that her brother was stationed there but she didn't know where or whether she would be allowed in. From what she knew, Jack had always worked in areas that demanded a high security clearance. Crap. What if they didn't let her in? But then, they had let her father in, hadn't they? Inwardly she cursed at Jack for doing this to her but was silenced suddenly as, somehow, the anger drained from her, leaving only a soothing presence and the knowledge that it was going to be alright.

-----

Smiling softly, Emily cracked one eye open and saw little but darkness. Reaching out to touch Jack's mind gently, she felt him stir, his attention immediately on her.

"I'm okay. Go back to sleep."

She could feel he was hesitant, but in the end he gave in. Even so, she knew that a part of him was still with her and that he'd react if she called for him. The Ancient's knowledge had now completely taken over and she felt the first signs of Jack's body giving in. It couldn't cope with the change and it wouldn't be long before his body shut down. Emily knew that as well as Jack did and her heart ached at the thought. She had never known her father but, if she had had the choice, she would have chosen him.

During their time on Eden, Jack had meant the world to her and after that he had always made her smile when she was down. The connection had been faint but enough to cheer her up. He probably hadn't even realized he was doing it; she had and she loved him for it. She had never had many friends, but Jack had been a friend.

Also, he loved her mother. One didn't need her abilities to see that; it was obvious. As obvious as her mother's love for him. Even so, this was also what worried her. She knew how this was going to end and she had always hoped Jack would be there to help her mother through this.

"So you made your choice?"

Emily smiled weakly at the disembodied voice that she knew fairly well by now. Fortunately, she had been able to keep this little secret from Jack. This was one thing he needn't know about. "I never had one."

A hand descended on Emily's shoulder and she felt sleep starting to tug at her again.

"You always have a choice, little one. If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago."

Snuggling deeper into her blankets, Emily started to doze off again, a soft hand caressing her until she was fast asleep.

-----

She awoke in the middle of the night to a warm presence wrapped all around her. Sighing softly, she pressed herself against the body spooned behind her. Why hadn't they done this earlier? It felt good… and it felt right. When she closed her eyes, she was nearly able to believe that it would be like this forever. But her conscious mind knew it wouldn't last. She would lose him in days, hours even. Just mere hours and she still had no idea what the effects of his death on her daughter would be.

This connection between the two scared her. The effects it could have on Emily scared her even more. She reflected again, for the thousandth time, on what Jack had told her, back then, just before he had stuck his head into the Ancient repository. He had told her that Emily had said he was the only one able to do it.

Sam always wanted to ask her daughter what this meant, why she had said these things to him in the first place, but somehow she always forgot when she was close to her daughter. Feeling Jack stir behind her, she turned slightly so she could see his face.

A grin spread over it when his eyes fell on her and he played softly with her long hair.

"Dormata."

She looked at him questioningly, but he just shrugged, drawing her closer and burying his face in her neck. A fleeting glance at the clock told her it was time to get up, but neither of them was ready to go out and face what the day would bring.

**Chapter 15**

Daniel skidded to a halt, nearly bringing Sam to the ground in the process. They had completed the weapon yesterday. The greatest scientific minds the SGC had been able to bring together had brooded, and argued, over the way the weapon was supposed to work, finally concluding that the weapon could only send a short-range pulse. They couldn't use the weapon until the Replicators were closer and, even then, they would only be able to halt the few that were approaching Earth. Once again, their situation had seemed hopeless.

That was before Jack blew into the lab and took the two energy sources, handing one to Sam and one to Daniel. Halfway through the process, Daniel had realized that Jack was muttering orders under his breath and Daniel's eyes had searched for Emily. For what may have been the first time since her arrival, she wasn't tagging along behind Jack. Fortunately, he had been able to understand some of Jack's words, enough to figure out that Jack wanted them to hook the energy sources up to the generators that powered the Stargate.

Jack had grabbed the weapon and disappeared through the door, a protesting Jennifer Hailey hot on his heels. Daniel had made a quick call to Hammond and explained the situation. Hammond had given him a go and, without taking a breath, told him that the Enterprise, who was following the Replicator vessel, had just entered the solar system. Somehow, Jack had already known.

They'd hooked up the energy sources and ran back to the control room where they were standing now. Emily sat in one of the chairs, her eyes watching Jack as his fingers flew over the various keyboards. On cue, the inner ring of the Stargate started to spin, one chevron locking in after the other, but no signs appeared on the screen.

"Captain, report."

General Hammond's voice cut through the sound of the Gate opening and Jack's feet as he ran out of the room, the weapon in hands.

"The eighth chevron is locked, Sir. I don't know which address he dialed, but the energy output is much higher than it should be given the last recording of the connection to the Asgard home world."

"He dialed all Gates."

Emily's voice was quiet, hardly breaking through Jen Hailey's report, but still the room fell silent.

"What do you mean, he dialed all Gates?" Daniel wasn't sure whether the General, Jen Hailey, or Sam had spoken first, the question was in such unison.

"The weapon will only work on short ranges. He dialed all Gates to increase the damage to the Replicators."

Emily looked so sober, her normally sparkling blue eyes misty and gray. Daniel could feel worry radiating from Sam as she crouched next to her daughter, enfolding the girl in her arms while her eyes remained on the single figure in the Gate room.

Jack's eyes lifted to the control room and sought Sam out for a moment before they continued towards the General. A short nod was all it needed and a shiny blue wall surrounded Jack, extending quickly in all directions. The shock wave was gone in a matter of seconds and the Gate shut down. With the depression of just one small button, the threat was gone. Even so, the victory tasted bitter to Daniel. This long overdue victory had cost them all dearly.

He heard a sergeant behind him confirming the destruction of the Replicator ship. As the room around them erupted into cheers, Daniel's eyes stayed fixed on Jack, as were Sam's, he noticed absently. His friend turned around in the gate room, his eyes once again lifting to them, this time a question visible. Daniel felt himself nodding at Jack's inquiry and his friend smiled weakly. They had won.

The smile faded as Jack started to sway on his feet and Daniel hurried down, but was beaten to it by Teal'c. When they entered, Jack had already collapsed in a heap on the concrete. For a split second, Daniel wondered where Sam was but his attention snapped back to the man on the floor before the thought could fully form. They had known that this was bound to happen, ever since Jack had stuck his head into the machine. Still, Daniel had found himself hoping against hope that, maybe, somehow Jack would pull through again. Only it didn't look like that this time.

Jack's pulse was weak and erratic when the medics wheeled him away to the infirmary, Teal'c and Daniel following closely even though they knew they would have to wait outside.

"Daniel, how is he?"

He spun around at the sound of Sam's voice. He hadn't realized she was crouched on the ground in front of the infirmary.

"I don't know, Sam."

She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, then nodded. When her eyes opened again, there was nothing but determination in them.

"Daniel, do we know for sure that the Asgard won't be able to come?"

Although he immediately understood her intentions, Daniel found himself unwilling to answer and crush her hope. He chose his words carefully.

"We haven't heard from the Asgard since the whole problem with the Replicators began. It is most likely…"

"I didn't ask whether it's likely, Daniel. Those energy sources… before I left, I heard Jen say they were still working. We could try to contact the Asgard."

"We should indeed explore all options available."

Daniel shot a look at Teal'c and then nodded at Sam in defeat. He hated to see her getting her hopes up… _all_ of their hopes up… only to have them crushed again but, really, she had a point. It was at least worth a try and definitely better than doing nothing.

"I'll help you, Sam."

"No. I need you and Teal'c to stay. Call me when anything changes. Emily's in there as well. She collapsed the second Jack did."

Suddenly Daniel understood why Sam hadn't been with them in the Gateroom. He understood the determination in her face. This wasn't solely about losing Jack any more; this was also about losing her daughter. With a last glance towards the closed door, Sam turned around and ran off, leaving a speechless Daniel behind.

The world, the galaxy, heck, the universe, had just been saved but, to Daniel, it felt like his whole world just came crashing down on him. His hand slammed into the concrete of the wall, but the pain hardly registered as he wished with all he had for the two people in the infirmary to live, sending a silent prayer to whoever was willing to listen.

-----

"Engage! Damn it!"

Her fist hit the delicate controls and she noticed one of the technicians wince, not that she was overly worried about it. The wormhole didn't engage, no matter how hard she tried. This was at least the 30th time they tried and, again, the result was the same.

"Ma'am?"

"What!" Sam snapped back at Jennifer Hailey, who was now tugging her lightly by the arm, the phone still in hand. Her misdirected anger and frustration immediately drained away at the sight of the phone, the sympathetic expression in Jen's eyes only adding to her worry.

"It's Daniel. He says you should go up to the infirmary immediately."

Fear shot through Sam as she hurried out of the control room, screaming to Hailey, on her way out, to keep trying to dial the Asgard. Her feet carried her through the SGC as if she had never left. Without a single wrong turn, she finally reached the infirmary, panting and desperate to fill her lungs with air. Her eyes didn't need long to find the two people closest to her heart on their beds, bodies shaken by identical convulsions.

"What happened?"

"It started a few minutes ago. The doctor said that it's most likely Jack's brain starting to shut down, but he can't explain what's happening to Emily."

"It's a mental connection. Jack and Emily, they've been connected for some time. What's affecting him is affecting her."

She could see understanding dawning on the faces of her family and friends. Her dad paled; Paul looked gravely at the floor. There was nothing they, she, could do but watch them die. Behind her, Teal'c's hand settled on her shoulder as a new wave of tremors shook the bodies on the beds.

Suddenly Emily stopped convulsing, her body becoming totally stiff. The erratic heartbeat slowed down and became steady. Unconsciously, Sam stepped closer to the bed where suddenly everything seemed to have gone still. It was a stark contrast to the next bed where nurses and doctors were working busily. Everyone was still looking at Emily in relief and amazement when, suddenly, Jack stopped convulsing as well. Only his heartbeat didn't return to normal. The frantically beeping tone of the machine turned to a single, long never-changing sound. Behind her, Sam could feel Daniel and Teal'c stepping closer to her, though she didn't know if it was to support her or to keep her from doing something crazy. Right now, she didn't care. Her eyes darting between her daughter and Jack. Someone had finally shut the noise of the machine off and left was only the beeping echo of Emily's heartbeat.

Sam's eyes had just turned to Jack for a split second when a white light began to radiate from Emily's bed, shortly followed by an equally pulsing light on Jack's bed. Soon the whole room was filled with a blinding light. There was nothing they could do but close their eyes. Something like a breeze brushed over her cheek and she heard a faint voice whisper.

'Then the traveler in the dark thanks you for your tiny spark.'

Then, Sam knew nothing. Her world turned from brilliant white to black as she fainted, and was, fortunately, caught by Teal'c as she collapsed.

**--- Epilogue ---**

He reeled his line in and cast it out again. Next to him, he felt the movement being repeated and a small splash was heard as the line touched the surface of the still water.

"Jack, Cathy, hurry up. The others will be here soon."

Jack sighed loudly and was rewarded with a grin by the teenager on the chair next to him. He could hear his wife's voice growing louder, a sure sign that she was walking in their direction.

"Tell me again why it is so important that they're coming," he asked his wife who had reached them now and was leaning on the back of his chair. Adjusting his head so that he could see her face, he saw the gleaming sparkle in her eyes as she rolled them.

"Because it's your birthday, Jack O'Neill. Now get going."

"She's right, Dad. I haven't seen Uncle Teal'c in ages."

Jack's head quickly spun around to face his daughter, already packing up her pole, mouthing the word 'traitor' before he started to reel the line in again, constantly muttering about how unfair the world was.

"Stop going all grumpy on me, Jack. I know you're looking forward to seeing them all again just as much as I am."

"Hey, we saw Joy yesterday." He protested loudly when his wife started to walk away again.

"Aunt Joy lives down the street, Dad."

"Okay, that's it. You'll never visit your dear Uncle Danny again. Turning into a traitor on me. You've got to get that from him."

Cathy simply laughed and got up to put her gear away while Jack took his time, still grumbling good-naturedly. A huge shadow suddenly fell over the lake and a hissing sound filled the air, soon replaced by a mechanical noise he knew only too well.

"Oh, here we go." he said to no one in particular as the rings left, revealing Daniel and two kids, who launched themselves onto him as soon as they spotted him, nearly dropping all three of them into the pond.

He finally managed to free himself of the kids and set them on Sam's and Cathy's trails. The rings deposited another wave of visitors on the ground, this time Shmela and Teal'c, who smiled just a bit when his eyes fell on Jack.

Soon the cabin was crowded with people as more and more visitors arrived. Sam's brother and his wife and kids were the last to arrive and Jack soon found that his cabin wasn't nearly big enough to hold his large extended family. Times like these he wondered why they hadn't moved off world after the defeat of the Replicators 15 years ago. It had been so quiet on Homer and it would've been the perfect spot for a nice cabin, down by the lake they swam in so often.

Then again, he knew why they had stayed on Earth. It was why they seldom visited Shmela, the same reason why Sam's eyes turned just a shade darker whenever her eyes settled on her old friend. Emily.

After the defeat of the Replicators, the few left over Goa'uld weren't hard to take out. Hammond had wanted to retire and had talked the Joint Chiefs into offering Jack command of the SGC. Sam had pushed him into it. Daniel and Shmela had moved to Kasmuu, Teal'c back to Chulak. Jacob had stayed on Earth and had found himself a nice little house in the Springs. He said he'd never go back to the Tok'ra, their betrayal had hit him hard. Fortunately for both of them, Tekal agreed with him. All in all, life had been everything Jack had ever dreamed of and yet not.

They had moved to Minnesota two years ago when Jack had handed in his resignation. Sam had worked as a scientist at the SGC up to then; she still did when she was needed, but the now-Lieutenant Colonel Hailey made sure that those occasions were as few as possible.

His eyes traveled over the assembled crowd and, despite the fact that he loved his family dearly, he felt the need to get out. To escape the noise for a few minutes at least, he stepped out onto the patio and walked over to the deck where he sat down, his feet nearly touching the water. The hurt in Sam's eyes when she looked at Shmela was just too much, was too close to his own pain. He couldn't help the groan that escaped him when he heard the familiar steps behind him.

"How's life on Kasmuu?"

"It's good. Cralen's still president, but he refuses to be reelected next year. He's sorry he couldn't come."

"It's okay."

Daniel sat down next to him and, despite the fact that Jack kept his eyes firmly on the water, he knew that Daniel's smile was fading.

Silence fell and, for a while, neither of them said a word to shatter it, but Jack knew what was about to come. It was the question Daniel had asked every time they met each other and Jack grew weary of answering it.

"What happened, Jack? Back then. I mean, I know Emily ascended, I saw that, we _all_ saw it, but you never told me what happened."

Jack sighed deeply and, finally, looked at his friend. How could he explain something like this? He would always feel guilty for what had happened, even though Sam constantly tried to assure him it wasn't his fault.

"Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there were these people, just like you and me, only smarter." Jack paused, "Okay, maybe just smarter than me. At any rate, they were really nice folks and all but, after some time, they figured out how to live without the restraints of a human body. God knows why they would want to, no beer, no sex, but anyhow. They decided to keep to themselves."

Next to him, he felt Daniel nod impatiently. Daniel knew probably more about the Ancients than Jack did and nothing Jack had said so far was new to Daniel. If the thing he was about to say next wouldn't hurt so damn much, Jack would've grinned. This would knock the air out of his old friend.

"Until they found a little girl, whose genes had been tampered with by many people, none of them human. Those genes allowed the girl to make contact with the mind of a weary old soldier. Through the soldier, she came into contact with the knowledge those folks left behind."

He winced only slightly, remembering his role in the game only too clearly.

"Despite the fact that the soldier wanted her to live and tried to save her, she knew that she could never return to her life, that she had grown more than her human body allowed. Those folks I've told ya about, they knew as well. They helped her finding a new path and everyone lived their 'happily ever after'."

"Sort of." Daniel said quietly.

"Yeah."

Jack smiled somberly at Daniel before pulling himself up to his feet. He patted the still sitting Daniel on the shoulder and walked back to his house, expecting to hear Daniel's hurried steps behind him. But Daniel didn't follow.

He was thankful that Daniel allowed him to gather himself before he had to face his family inside. Leaning at one wall of the cabin, he buried his face in hands and sank down to the ground. Telling Daniel had made him relive everything again. Had made him lose another child. The pain still echoed though – Charlie… Em…

"You okay?"

Too caught up in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed Sam's approach. She was kneeling next to him, her blue eyes thoughtful.

"I'm okay. Just thinking."

"You told him."

It wasn't a question and he didn't answer. She nodded quickly and framed his face with her hands.

"It was her decision to save your life. Her decision that I should have _you_, at least, though she couldn't stay."

There was honesty and love in his wife's eyes, but also so much sadness. He pulled her into his arms. Wetness trickled down his neck and he realized she was crying.

When Sam had told him she wanted to have another baby, Jack had been reluctant. How many more children was he supposed to lose, his heart cried. Still, in the end he had given in and Catherine Grace O'Neill had been nothing but a salve for his wounds from the day she'd been born.

The quiver of Sam's shoulders calmed and he pulled them up to their feet, brushing away her tears.

"Wanna go back inside?"

Sam nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist as they turned to leave. A warm breeze blew over them and Jack could've sworn he heard a girl singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.' When his eyes turned to face Sam again, he saw a small smile creeping over her lips. She had heard it as well.

**--- --- The End --- ---**

  
**A/N**: Thank you if you stayed with me this long. I hope you won't lynch me now that we reached the end. I really appreciate all your support and input. Thank you! 


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